New In-Flight Service Brings TV Shows, Movies to Wireless Devices

WESTLAKE VILLAGE: A new wireless VOD service from Row 44 brings in-flight passengers access to movies and TV shows from partners such as Disney, Universal, Twentieth Century Fox and Warner Bros. to be streamed on smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Passengers can use wi-fi-enabled devices in-flight to access content from a number of the major Hollywood studios, including episodes of Friends, Glee, The Office, Modern Family and The Three Stooges. Also included are movies such as Avatar, Harry Potter, Inception, Toy Story and Hitchcock classics. The library also includes action-adventure, drama, children’s, comedy and other genres.

The Row 44 in-flight broadband entertainment platform also includes service for live streaming, including from networks such as CNBC, FOX News and Versus.

"Passengers want flight time to pass quickly—and that means a wide selection of entertainment opportunities," said Howard Lefkowitz, Row 44’s chief commercial officer. "Adding live streaming IPTV television and now an extensive library of on-demand movies and TV shows to our world-leading broadband Wi-Fi connectivity system creates an unmatched in-flight entertainment offering—an outstanding experience for passengers and maximum revenue-generating potential for airlines. Row 44 brings it all together—and this is just the beginning of our innovation in this space."

Lefkowitz added, "For airlines that do not want to deal with the cost, weight and installation time of adding seatback screens—and even airlines with onboard IFE systems—Row 44’s In-Flight Broadband Entertainment Platform offers a much more robust and modern solution. Passengers already bring their own Wi-Fi devices onboard; the growth in that market has been staggering. Being able to use my own device in-flight to choose from so many video entertainment options—and still Facebook with my friends and see pictures of my children—is like sitting me in my living room while I fly. That’s the unmatched customer experience we bring to our airline partners."

"Southwest knows our customers want the ability to customize their onboard entertainment experience," said Dave Ridley, Southwest’s chief marketing officer. "Allowing our Customers to choose from hundreds of TV shows and movies on a Southwest flight will be a great addition to the Southwest in-flight product offering. We’re very excited about unveiling this service later this year."