American Airlines Takes NBCU Fare

UNIVERSAL CITY/FORT WORTH: American Airlines has tapped NBC Universal as its new inflight content provider, a role previously held by CBS.

As part of the pact, which kicks of March 1, NBC Universal will produce four exclusive 90-minute programs each month for the carrier, delivering content from across its stable of assets, for broadcast on the main overhead screens and, where available, in-seat entertainment devices. The agreement covers U.S. and international flights. Among the monthly programs are television shows from NBC, USA, Bravo, SCI FI, Oxygen, MSNBC and CNBC, as well as films from Universal Pictures and programming from NBC News, NBC Sports and other divisions of the company.

"American Airlines is committed to providing first-rate inflight programming for our customers," said Dan Garton, American’s executive VP of marketing. "With this agreement, we have also demonstrated our commitment to improve our customers’ overall travel experience. We are both pleased and eager to introduce NBC Universal programming as a key part of our inflight entertainment."

"This mutually beneficial arrangement with American Airlines allows the many broadcast and cable channels of NBC Universal as well as Universal Pictures to showcase our products to a highly desirable audience," added John Miller, the chief marketing officer NBC Universal Television Group and president of The NBC Agency. "We look forward to delivering engaging programming that will enhance the experience of the audiences on American’s flights."