Delta's major innovation. Photo: Delta Air Lines Sports fans will no longer have to choose between flying and the big game. On Monday (August 31), Delta Air Lines announced a new partnership with Sport 24, IMG's live sports channel for the airline and cruise industries, under which the company will offer passengers on international flights live sports broadcasts around the clock.
The service will launch this fall and will be available via Delta Sync Wi-Fi on international flights between the U.S. and destinations around the world.
Passengers will not be required to watch the seat screen: SkyMiles members will be able to connect to Delta Wi-Fi using their account details, log in to the dedicated portal and watch Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra channels directly on their mobile phone, tablet or PC. Joining SkyMiles is free.
The list of content announced by Delta includes some of the most watched sporting events in the world.
Among other things, passengers will be able to watch live broadcasts of the NBA, NFL, the English Premier League, UEFA competitions, Formula 1 and the Grand Slam tennis tournaments, along with other international sporting events.
The content shown at any given moment will be selected based on the major sporting events taking place at that time. Both channels will essentially offer sports content 24 hours a day, seven days a week.
Photo: Delta Air LinesThe move is made possible as part of the expansion of Delta Sync Wi-Fi, the company's connectivity system.
Delta said the service is now available on all of its international flights, with full coverage across its transatlantic network to Europe, Latin America, Israel and Africa. The company also plans to complete gate-to-gate connectivity on transpacific routes this fall.
Delta presents the Internet connection not only as a Wi-Fi service, but as a platform that allows it to add real-time content and services to passengers.
According to Ranjan Goswami, Delta's chief marketing and product officer, as the company builds a more global and connected network, the goal is to make the flight experience more relevant to customers' destinations and interests.
The company emphasizes that live sports are a significant part of this strategy, especially on long flights where a significant game or race may start and end while the passenger is still in the air.
The new move doesn't stand alone. Delta has recently been investing extensively in the connection between aviation and sports.
The company collaborates with entities including Team USA, the WNBA, PGA TOUR, The Masters Tournament, and professional and college teams in key US markets.
Additionally, on its domestic flights, it offers sports content through services such as FOX One, Paramount+ and Amazon Prime’s Thursday Night Football on planes equipped with live TV. The partnership with Sport 24 now extends this strategy to international flights.
Sport 24 has been operating for more than 14 years and specializes in live sports broadcasts for passengers on airplanes and cruise ships. For Delta, the new connection is intended to solve one of the familiar problems for sports fans on long-haul flights: the ability to take off before the opening whistle, and land only after the game has already ended.