The spat between T-Mobile and AT&T intensifies. Four days after T-Mobile CEO John Legere called competitor AT&T out publicly for its "desperate moves" after it offered customers $200 in credit for switching from T-Mobile, the flamboyant Legere has been ejected from AT&T's CES party.
CNET's Roger Cheng tweeted to say he'd spotted and posed for a picture with Legere at the event in Las Vegas.
Ran into @JohnLegere at the AT&T party. Yep, he crashed it. And still wearing the pink t-mo shirt. #CES2014 pic.twitter.com/gy9vGTJUEW
— Roger Cheng (@RogerWCheng) January 7, 2014
Shortly afterward, Cheng tweeted again to say that Legere, who appeared to be concealing a T-shirt in T-Mobile company colors under his black jacket, had been escorted out of the lavish event — which featured a performance from rap star Macklemore — by AT&T's security. Legere himself replied to Cheng, tweeting that he was "very angry."
Legere had reportedly secured his passes through Macklemore's agent, but his ejection isn't a total shock. Legere's attendance at AT&T's party comes after a series of public attacks by Legere on its hosts: a few days prior to his appearance at the event, the T-Mobile CEO used Twitter to blast the rival company during its CES press conference.
Wow, @ATT – We know you like to copy us, but announcing you might, maybe have something we’ve had a year later? #comeon #uncarrier #CES2014
— John Legere (@JohnLegere) January 6, 2014
Tonight's events come just as T-Mobile is readying big news of its own at its own CES press conference this Wednesday. Legere previously suggested that his company would put out an announcement that would shake up the mobile industry. "The competition," he wrote last week, "is going to be toast!" What better way to preface your game-changing announcement then to very publicly be ejected from a competitor's event?