Globe GoSURF Promotions: Understanding Free YouTube and Video Streaming Data Add-Ons

Globe Telecom, a major telecommunications provider in the Philippines, offers a variety of prepaid and postpaid mobile data promotions under the "GoSURF" brand. These promotions frequently include "freebies"—additional data allocations for specific applications or categories—which have historically included video streaming services such as YouTube. The availability and structure of these offers vary by specific promo tier, subscription date, and selected add-ons.

GoSURF Promo Structure and Core Data

GoSURF promotions are tiered based on price, validity period, and the amount of open-access mobile data provided. Open-access data can be used for general internet browsing, while freebies provide dedicated data for specific apps or categories. According to historical data, core GoSURF promos ranged from budget options like GoSURF15 to higher-tier plans like GoSURF1999.

Key examples of core promo structures include:

GoSURF50: Provided 1GB of mobile data valid for a specific period (historically noted as valid until December 31, 2017, in one source). This promo historically included free unlimited texts to all networks.
GoSURF1999: A 30-day promo offering 30GB of consumable mobile internet data. This higher-tier plan historically included an additional 10GB of data designated for specific app categories (GoWATCH&PLAY, GoSHARE&SHOP, or GoLIVE&DISCOVER) and 1GB of Go WIFI access.
Other Tiers: Promos such as GS505D (50 Pesos, 5 days, 300MB data), GOSURF3D (99 Pesos, 3 days, 500MB data), GOSURF7D (199 Pesos, 7 days, 1GB data), and GOSURF499 (499 Pesos, 30 days, 3GB data) were also available, all offering a "freebie" for an app of choice.

YouTube and Video Streaming Add-Ons

Access to YouTube and other video streaming platforms is handled through specific freebies or add-on subscriptions. The availability of these offers has changed over time, but historical data outlines two primary methods for accessing video content: selecting a video freebie or purchasing a video-specific add-on.

1. Video Streaming Freebies

When a user subscribes to a GoSURF promo that includes a "freebie" (an additional data allowance for a specific app or category), YouTube is often an eligible selection.

GoSURF50 Freebie: Subscribers to GoSURF50 received a text message prompting them to select a free content bundle worth 300MB of data. To access YouTube and Dailymotion, users were instructed to text the keyword GS50 VIDEO to 8080.
General App Freebies: For other GoSURF tiers (such as GOSURF3D, GOSURF7D, and GOSURF499), users received a freebie allowing data access for an "App of Choice." The list of eligible apps for these freebies historically included YouTube, alongside options like Spotify, Pokemon Go, Clash of Clans, Clash Royale, Daily Motion, Facebook, Snapchat, and Viber.
GoWATCH&PLAY Category: For high-tier promos like GoSURF1999, the 10GB bonus data was divided into categories. Selecting "GoWATCH&PLAY" provided access to a bundle of apps including YouTube, Netflix, iWant, NBA, HOOQ, VIU, ONE, iflix, Mobile Legends, Arena of Valor, Rules of Survival, Clash of Clans, Free Fire, and PUBG. Users could register for this specific category by texting GS1999 WP or GS1999 WNP to 8080.

2. GoWATCH Add-Ons

For users who require bulk video streaming data separate from their main promo or freebie selection, Globe offered specific GoWATCH add-ons. These add-ons provided consumable data strictly for video streaming apps.

GoWATCH29: Offered 2GB of video streaming data for 1 day. It was available as an add-on for GoSURF50, GoSURF299, GoSURF599, and GoSURF999. Registration required texting GoWATCH29 to 8080.
GoWATCH99: Offered 2.5GB of video streaming data for 3 days. Available for GoSURF50, GoSURF299, GoSURF599, GoSURF999, GoSURF1299, GoSURF1999, and GoSURF2499. Registration required texting GoWATCH99 to 8080.
GoWATCH399: Offered 10GB of video streaming data for 30 days. Available for GoSURF299, GoSURF599, GoSURF999, GoSURF1299, GoSURF1999, and GoSURF2499. Registration required texting GoWATCH399 to 8080.

These add-ons generally covered apps such as YouTube, Netflix, iflix, iWant, Viu, V Live, NBA, and ONE. It is noted that while these add-ons provided data for streaming, premium subscriptions (such as Netflix or HOOQ accounts) were still required to view content on those platforms.

Temporary Promotional Offers

At specific times, Globe offered temporary promotions that provided free data for video streaming and gaming without requiring a specific add-on subscription or freebie selection.

May 2018 Promotion: Starting May 18, 2018, Globe Prepaid customers who subscribed to GoSURF50 and up, GOTSCOMBODD70 and 90, or GoSAKTO120 and 140 received an additional 2GB for free. This data was designated for "GoWATCH AND PLAY" and allowed access to YouTube, Netflix, HOOQ, NBA, Cartoon Network, Disney, Arena of Valor, Mobile Legends, Clash of Clans, Pokemon Go, and Clash Royale. This freebie was provided on top of the existing data allowance and did not consume the main GoSURF MBs.

Registration and Management

Users can register for GoSURF promos and add-ons using several methods: 1. Text Registration: Users text the specific promo keyword (e.g., GS505D, GOSURF1999, GoWATCH29) to 8080. 2. USSD Menu: Users can dial *143# and navigate through the menus to select Surfing > GoSURF > [Specific Promo] > Subscribe. 3. Retailer Load: Users can ask Globe AutoLoadMAX Retailers to load the specific promo directly to their SIM.

To inquire about available promos or manage subscriptions, users can text GOSURF INFO to 8080 or text GS MORE to 8080 to learn about other promos that can be added to an existing GoSURF subscription.

Conclusion

Globe GoSURF promotions provide mobile data solutions that frequently include value-added freebies, with YouTube access historically being a prominent option. Access to YouTube data is primarily achieved through two mechanisms: selecting video streaming as a freebie when subscribing to a base GoSURF promo, or purchasing dedicated GoWATCH add-ons for bulk video data. Specific temporary promotions, such as the 2GB "GoWATCH AND PLAY" offer in May 2018, also provided free access to YouTube and other streaming services for eligible subscribers. Users should verify current eligibility and registration keywords by texting GOSURF INFO to 8080, as offer structures and availability are subject to change.