United partners with DISH to broadcast live professional and college football onboard
United Airlines and DISH are bringing professional and college football games to passengers on Starlink-enabled seatback screens
United Airlines passengers can still be part of football season onboard, thanks to a new agreement between the airline and DISH. Beginning this month, travelers can catch live professional and college football games right on their Starlink-enabled seatback screen.
United is installing Starlink at a rapid rate, and fans can now watch live broadcasts from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and TNF on Prime Video on more than 200 Starlink-equipped airplanes – about 700 of flights per day. The service will be available on domestic flights through the big game in February and United expects to have Starlink on nearly 700 airplanes by then.
Starlink is free for MileagePlus® members in every class of service and the airline expects to complete installations before the end of 2027.
This latest entertainment offering builds on the airline's long history of supporting professional football, sponsoring nine professional football teams in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Washington D.C., Denver, Kansas City, Cleveland and Nashville and operating more than 200 team charter flights for 11 teams this season.
"Starlink opens a whole new world of features and benefits for our customers, regardless of where they sit on the plane – now football fans don't have to schedule their flights around game day," said Andrew Nocella, United's Executive Vice President and Chief Commercial Officer. "Instead, they can watch their favorite team on seatback and also make changes to their fantasy roster, text or live chat with friends, or even stream different games on their phone, laptop or tablet, just like they would do at home."
United's agreement represents a collaborative effort with DISH, utilizing its OnStream platform, to deliver content to next-generation aviation environments.
"With United, we are helping to rewrite the inflight playbook," said Amir Ahmed, Executive Vice President, Video Services, DISH. "Whether you are sitting on your couch or cruising at 35,000 feet, you should be able to watch your favorite teams play. By pairing DISH's OnStream platform with United's Starlink connectivity, we're keeping fans connected to the moments that matter most."
Live entertainment inflight
This service is the latest example of how United is using Starlink to redefine the inflight entertainment experience. Last month, United partnered with ESPN to host a first-of-its kind live Fantasy Football Draft from 30,000 feet where ESPN analyst Tyler Fulghum made his picks live from the sky during the two-hour broadcast. And earlier this summer, United passengers could stream the FIFA World Cup onboard Starlink-powered domestic flights.
Starlink is now active on more than 560 United mainline and United Express® aircraft and the airline has already flown more than 31 million passengers on Starlink-powered aircraft across more than 464,000 flights, powering 14.2 million devices.
"Football Flies United" campaign
For the second year in a row, United is celebrating the intersection of football, fashion and travel for its "Football Flies United" advertising campaign. Featuring New York Giants head coach John Harbaugh, Giants players Abdul Carter and Arvell Reese, and Chicago Bears players Rome Odunze, Luther Burden III and Colston Loveland, the campaign is built around a simple idea: how you arrive matters. Whether stepping off an aircraft for game day or arriving for an important business meeting, traveling well can help people feel refreshed, confident and ready to work – no matter what comes next.
"When our players step off the plane, we want them to feel rested, confident and ready to compete. Football Flies United celebrates the idea that when you travel well and feel your best, you're going to perform at your best," said Coach Harbaugh. "And for football fans traveling this season, they can bring that same game-day energy with them knowing they won't have to miss a play – they can watch their favorite teams live on United flights all season long."
The campaign is featured across prominent out-of-home locations in Chicago and New York, including Wrigleyville and Penn Station, with additional content rolling out across social media throughout the NFL season. The teams and locations were chosen to highlight United's roots as Chicago's Hometown Airline®, and its global reach with Newark as a gateway to more than 90 international destinations, the press release said.
The airline will also charter flights for the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers for their international games in London, Paris and Mexico City.
