Two leading carriers have asserted their faith in the continued pulling power of IFE. Japan’s All Nippon Airways is to double the choice of content available on its AVOD-equipped aircraft. And American Airlines has contracted NBC Universal to supply new broadcast content from the beginning of March.
ANA passengers in all classes on the Boeing 747-400s and 777-300ERs serving routes to Europe and North America will have access to 160 on-demand channels from next Monday. The enriched line-up will include new and classic Hollywood blockbusters, Japanese and world movies, TV dramas, music, audio books, games and a yoga workout.
Short and medium-haul international flights to China and the rest of Asia will get the same treatment at the beginning of April, when the choice on these 777-200ER and 767-300ER flights will be upped from the present 75 channels to 153.
ANA first introduced AVOD as standard in every cabin on intercontinental flights in April 2002 and now offers it on all international aircraft equipped with in-seat screens. Some of the carrier’s international Boeing 737s and Airbus A320s are not so equipped – in business class on these flights passengers are offered 35 channels delivered via Panasonic eXpress handheld players.
Under its deal with NBC Universal American will show four exclusive 90min programmes on its aircraft every month, delivering them via overhead screens and the IMS Company 10.6in-screen handheld devices offered in business class on its Boeing 767-300s.
The new content will appear on American’s broadcast IFE-equipped Airbus A300s and Boeing 737s, 757s and 767s. In the carrier’s AVOD-equipped Boeing 777s passengers will be offered a shorter list of NBC Universal entertainment.
The monthly will include television shows from NBC, USA, Bravo, SCI FI, Oxygen, MSNBC and CNBC, films from Universal Pictures, and programming from NBC News, NBC Sports and other divisions of the company.
Advertising sales, including exclusive sponsorships and inflight product placements, will be handled by New York-based Brand Connections.
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This week on the Shephard Defence Podcast, senior naval reporter Harry Lye and military training & simulation reporter Norbert Neumann chat with Professor John Louth.
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