Southwest Airlines has partnered with television provider DISH Networks to offer free streaming live television to passengers' WiFi-enabled devices.
In order to celebrate the new offering, which is branded "TV Flies Free" to complement the airline's "Bags Fly Free," the company brought in Dish for an in-flight announcement - and to give away free iPads to everyone on board.
Fliers with devices running Apple's iOS and Google's Android will have free access to 14 live TV channels and up to 75 on-demand TV shows free on their Wi-Fi-enabled devices, available on 427, or 60%, of the carrier's fleet.
Programming options include Bravo, CNBC, FOX News Channel, MSNBC and the Golf Channel, among others, and is powered by satellite Internet and communications company Row 44.
The service is actually ad-supported, as Dish is offering the service for free in exchange for access to Southwest's customers. Dish branding will be prominent throughout the traveler's experience, including confirmation emails, airport signage, and 30-second commercials that must be viewed prior to watching TV.
A model often seen in ad-supported WiFi and timeshare sales (ie. freebie for listening to sales pitch), the partnership could be the beginning of a new way of providing in-flight services to customers.
While some airlines, such as Ryanair, have long sold advertising in their planes, few have integrated services so closely.
"Every interaction with consumers, we're going to be partnered on," said James Moorhead, Dish's chief marketing officer.
The promotion will be tested through to the end of the year, with an eye to making it permanent. The big question will be how travelers will respond - while the ever-growing commercialization of life has some consumers wary, the trade-off of one 30-second ad for free distraction during a long flight will likely be worth it to more than just the simple majority.
The pressure to differentiate will also rise on legacy carriers that are wont to charge fees for every single service. Smaller carriers such as Virgin America offer free entertainment as a way to siphon off travelers, but when a larger carrier Southwest (which is a top four carrier in market share) moves on this front, it creates a clear division.
Southwest will continue to charge fliers $8 a day for Wi-Fi Internet access and for entertainment outside the Dish offerings, such as $5 movies. Although if this ad-supported model is well received, it's not a stretch to start seeing the proliferation of these "trade free service for commercial access" options in other areas of travel.
A Southwest spokesperson spoke to Tnooz about the new offering, pointing to the limited-time nature and value provided.
We are consistently looking to evolve our onboard experience provide more value to our Customers. We partnered with Row 44 several years ago to provide our Customers with the opportunity to be more productive in the air with satellite-based WiFi.
Last summer, we added live TV as a new option, and earlier this year, we expanded our offering by adding on demand episodes of popular TV shows to our TV package and on demand movies. We know our Customers have enjoyed these options while flying Southwest, and this new partnership with DISH enables all of our Customers to access the TV package for free – and everyone loves FREE!
Free TV compliments of DISH is a limited-time promotion, which should run through the fall.