In-flight entertainment: The next TV battleground?

On 3 October Air France awarded a major contract to equip its fleet of 113 Airbus A320 aircraft with ‘Direct-To-Seat’ In Flight Connectivity (IFC). The deal was with Global Eagle, one of the new suppliers of programming – and broadband – courting the airlines and keen not just on direct-to-seat but on “gate to gate” access to internet and entertainment.

The Air France contract is with Global Eagle and via its French partner Orange Business Services. These planes fly short and medium haul flights throughout Europe, Russia, North Africa and the Middle East. But there are plenty more players currently attacking this most lucrative of markets.

Another is the snappily-named Gogo, which says it is already supplying three global airlines – and hundreds of aircraft - with satellite-delivered TV and broadband. Gogo put out a speedy press release to remind everyone that it was already supplying Air France’s long-haul aircraft, as well as KLM services.

Gogo TV delivers live television programming to aircraft for passenger consumption, including sports and news. Content can be delivered to passengers’ Wi-Fi enabled personal electronic devices or integrated into an airline’s seatback entertainment system.

Note that important phrase from Gogo: ‘direct to passengers’ own WiFi-enabled electronic devices’. Most airlines are…