MrBeast Plans Phone Company Launch in 2025 - Here's Why

When you think about YouTube's biggest star jumping into mobile services, it might sound like another celebrity cash grab. But MrBeast reportedly plans to launch a phone company next year, and this isn't your typical influencer side hustle. With Beast Industries valued at over $5 billion and Feastables generating millions monthly, Jimmy Donaldson is betting big on diversification into tech. The mobile industry is already experiencing an unprecedented celebrity invasion, but MrBeast's entry could reshape how we think about MVNOs entirely.

What makes this venture particularly compelling is the strategic timing and operational sophistication. While most celebrity mobile launches rely purely on star power, leaked investor documents reveal MrBeast is planning to launch a mobile phone service next year with genuine operational backing—management is telling investors to expect an IPO in two to three years, suggesting this mobile venture anchors a much larger strategic vision for building a diversified media and consumer goods empire.

The celebrity MVNO gold rush is real

Let's break down what's happening in the celebrity mobile space right now. The numbers are honestly pretty wild. Ryan Reynolds' stake in Mint Mobile led to a $1.35 billion sale in 2023, proving that celebrity involvement can create billion-dollar exits in the mobile industry. That's not just a lucky break—it's validation of an entirely new business model.

According to JLL Research, 60% of celebrity brands were founded in the last six years, with more than a third launching since 2020. We're seeing everyone from The Rock with his 10+ businesses to Selena Gomez making over $2 million per sponsored post to her 423 million followers. But mobile services represent something fundamentally different from typical celebrity product categories like beauty or wellness brands.

The market opportunity is massive. The MVNO market is estimated to reach approximately $81 billion by the end of this year and nearly $140 billion by 2030. But here's the catch that most people miss: most mobile virtual network operators fail. Celebrity MVNOs have something traditional carriers can't buy—massive, engaged audiences and direct relationships with consumers, plus they solve a critical vulnerability.

Here's what's really driving this trend: platform risk. Celebrities don't own their followers on social media, as big tech companies like Meta do. They're essentially renting space on social media platforms with their fans being "borrowed eyes" that they could lose at any moment. We've all seen content creators have their accounts taken down with no real explanation, losing entire follower bases overnight. Mobile services offer something social media can't: true ownership of the customer relationship with monthly recurring revenue.

Why MrBeast's approach could actually work

Now here's where MrBeast's strategy gets genuinely smart. His strategy involves establishing a mobile virtual network operator, partnering with existing networks from major companies like AT&T, T-Mobile, and Verizon. By partnering with one of these operators, MrBeast can provide affordable rates and good service without the massive capital requirements of building network infrastructure from scratch.

But the real differentiator is operational sophistication. Beast Industries made about $250 million in revenue for 2024, and Feastables now generates millions in profit every month, earning him more than his YouTube channel. Think about that for a second—his chocolate bar business is outperforming one of the most successful YouTube channels in history.

The operational expertise translates directly to telecom challenges. Feastables is already sold in major retailers like Walmart, Target, and Kroger, proving MrBeast brings a track record of building complex, scalable operations. Launching a food brand nationwide requires supply chain management, quality control, regulatory compliance, customer service infrastructure, and retail relationships. These are exactly the same operational muscles you need for mobile services—just applied to billing systems, customer support, and carrier partnerships instead of manufacturing and distribution.

The T-Mobile connection makes perfect sense

From a technical standpoint, the timing and partnership strategy look exceptionally solid. T-Mobile provides an MVNO solution and has previously collaborated with MrBeast, so there's already a working relationship and mutual understanding of each other's operations.

The network performance numbers are impressive too. T-Mobile added 1.7 million postpaid net subscribers in Q2 2025—the highest quarterly total in their history. T-Mobile's postpaid ARPA grew by over 5% year-over-year, the strongest rate in eight years. So you're partnering with the carrier that's absolutely crushing it right now in subscriber growth and revenue per user.

The technology infrastructure keeps getting better too. T-Mobile's median 5G FWA download speed had surged by 50% to 205.44 Mbps by Q4 2024. Plus, T-Mobile's T-Satellite service covers 500,000 square miles of previously underserved regions, giving any MrBeast mobile service serious nationwide reach from day one.

Bottom line: if you're going to launch an MVNO, partnering with the carrier that's dominating growth and continuously improving network quality while already understanding your brand is exactly what you'd want to do.

What success actually looks like in mobile

Let's talk about the practical requirements for making this work. Most MVNO startups require $50-100 million in funding, but MrBeast clearly has both the capital and operational experience. The key metrics are straightforward: success requires maintaining customer acquisition costs below $100, achieving monthly churn rates under 3%.

Celebrity MVNOs have massive structural advantages beyond basic audience math. Taylor Swift has over 280 million Instagram followers, and if she converted just 1% of her followers into paying mobile subscribers, she'd be adding millions to her bottom line each year. But the real opportunity extends far beyond simple subscriber conversion—it's about customer lifetime value and cross-selling opportunities.

The value proposition goes way beyond just cheaper phone service. Subscribers could enjoy early access to content, exclusive experiences, push notifications, and free data access to specific platforms. Imagine getting unlimited YouTube data for MrBeast videos, early access to his challenges, or exclusive behind-the-scenes content delivered directly through your mobile plan. For a creator whose videos regularly generate 100+ million views, that data savings alone could justify the service cost.

PRO TIP: The data advantages create long-term competitive moats. Becoming a celebrity MVNO would give stars access to valuable subscriber intelligence and first-party data, helping them understand demographics, lifestyle preferences, and social media patterns. For someone building a multi-billion dollar consumer brand empire, that customer intelligence becomes incredibly valuable for future product development and marketing optimization.

The technology barriers are getting lower too. Telecom-as-a-Service (TaaS) enables celebrities to own their own private-label network and bundle exclusive content and products into telecom experiences. Modern platforms mean it takes three months for onboarding and going live, making market entry faster than ever.

The bigger picture: disrupting telecom's old guard

If MrBeast succeeds, the implications extend far beyond mobile services. We're looking at a fundamental shift in how telecom works and who controls customer relationships.

The current market structure creates both challenges and opportunities. The consolidation of wireless spectrum into the hands of three giants—T-Mobile, Verizon, and AT&T—who now control over 80% of the nation's mobile wireless spectrum means the Big 3's growing spectrum dominance threatens to stifle future competition.

This creates an interesting dynamic: MVNOs depend on infrastructure leased from the Big 3, and their survival could be threatened as the oligopoly consolidates. But celebrity-backed MVNOs with massive audiences and diversified revenue streams might be exactly the kind of players that can not only survive but actually thrive in this environment. They bring something spectrum can't provide: direct audience relationships and brand loyalty that transcends price competition.

What's fascinating is how this fits into broader technology trends. Up until now, offering mobile services to fans and followers has been out of reach because telecom is one of the last industries to move to the cloud, deterring new entrants. But cloud-based telecom infrastructure is finally making celebrity MVNOs practical and scalable.

The timing couldn't be better. Traditional carriers are focused on spectrum acquisition and infrastructure investments, while celebrity brands are focused on customer experience and brand loyalty. Those are fundamentally different approaches to the same market, and there's room for both strategies to succeed—especially when celebrity MVNOs can offer integrated experiences across content, products, and services that traditional carriers simply can't match.

This isn't just MrBeast challenging the traditional telecom giants—it's about proving that the future of mobile might belong to brands that truly understand their customers and can offer seamless integration between digital entertainment, consumer products, and essential services. If he pulls this off, we might be looking at a new model for how media companies think about customer relationships and revenue diversification, with mobile service becoming the foundation for much broader consumer engagement strategies.