United Teams Up with DISH to Broadcast Professional and College Football Games Live on Starlink-Enabled Seatback Screens
United expands Starlink-powered live sports to seatback screens while accelerating fleetwide connectivity and entertainment upgrades through 2027.
Rhea-AI Summary
United Airlines (UAL) announced a new agreement with DISH that lets customers watch live professional and college football games on Starlink‑enabled seatback screens, starting this week and running through the big game in February.
Live broadcasts from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and TNF on Prime Video are now available on more than 200 Starlink‑equipped aircraft, covering about 700 domestic flights per day, with Starlink expected on nearly 700 airplanes by February. Starlink Wi‑Fi is free for MileagePlus members, and United plans to complete installations by the end of 2027.
Starlink is already active on more than 560 United and United Express aircraft, having supported over 31 million passengers on 464,000 flights. United is also expanding seatback screens to up to 1,000 aircraft by 2027 and is running its Football Flies United marketing campaign featuring NFL coaches and players in Chicago and New York.
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Key Figures
- Starlink-equipped aircraft
- more than 200 aircraft
- Live football broadcasts available
- Daily flights
- about 700 flights per day
- Flights with live broadcasts
- Planned Starlink aircraft
- nearly 700 airplanes
- Expected by February
- Installation completion
- before the end of 2027
- Expected Starlink installation completion
- Active Starlink aircraft
- more than 560 aircraft
- United mainline and United Express aircraft
- Passengers flown
- more than 31 million passengers
- On Starlink-powered aircraft
- Starlink-powered flights
- more than 464,000 flights
- Reported United flights
- Connected devices
- 14.2 million devices
- Powered on Starlink-equipped aircraft
Key Terms
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AI-generated analysis. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
United flyers won't miss a play this football season, with live broadcasts from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and TNF on Prime Video on Starlink-enabled seatback screens starting this week through the big game in February
Starlink is the fastest, most reliable WiFi in the sky and live TV streaming on seatback screens is now on board more than 220 mainline aircraft for customers in every class of service – up to 700 flights per day – with plans to reach 700 mainline planes early next year
United sponsors nine NFL teams and expects to operate 200+ team charter flights this season for 11 teams.
Starlink is the fastest, most reliable Wi-Fi in the sky and 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 new entertainment offering builds on the airline's long history of supporting professional football, sponsoring nine professional football teams in
"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 new 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're 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."
Starlink Sets a New Standard for Live Entertainment in Flight
This new service is just 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 customers could stream the biggest soccer tournament in the world 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.
Starlink is just one way United is investing nose to tail in its customer experience. The airline continues to install seatback screens across its fleet – up to 1,000 aircraft before the end of 2027 – and is rolling out new airplanes with 27-inch, 4K OLED seatback screens, the largest among
Football Flies United
Separately, 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 a plane 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
The airline will also charter flights for the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers for their international games in
About United
At United, Good Leads The Way. With U.S. hubs in Chicago, Denver, Houston, Los Angeles, New York/Newark, San Francisco and Washington, D.C., United operates the most comprehensive global route network among North American carriers and is now the largest airline in the world as measured by available seat miles. For more about how to join the United team, please visit www.united.com/careers and more information about the company is at www.united.com. United Airlines Holdings, Inc., the parent company of United Airlines, Inc., is traded on the Nasdaq under the symbol "UAL".
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SOURCE United Airlines
FAQ
AI-generated questions and answers. How Rhea-AI works. Not financial advice.
Which channels’ football games can passengers watch on United’s Starlink‑enabled seatback screens?
Passengers can watch live games from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and Thursday Night Football on Prime Video on Starlink‑enabled seatback screens.
On how many United flights is the new live football service available, and what is the rollout plan?
The live football service is available on more than 200 Starlink‑equipped airplanes, covering about 700 domestic flights per day. United expects to have Starlink on nearly 700 airplanes by the big game in February and plans to complete installations across the fleet before the end of 2027.
Is Starlink Wi‑Fi free on United, and for whom?
Starlink Wi‑Fi is free for MileagePlus members in every class of service.
What other entertainment upgrades is United making alongside Starlink?
United is installing seatback screens on up to 1,000 aircraft before the end of 2027 and rolling out new planes with 27‑inch, 4K OLED seatback screens. Passengers can access more than 2,500 hours of entertainment, including content from Apple TV, HBO Max, A24 and Spotify.
What is the Football Flies United campaign?
Football Flies United is an advertising campaign that highlights the link between football, fashion and travel, 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. It appears on out‑of‑home locations in Chicago and New York and across social media throughout the NFL season.
How is United involved with NFL teams beyond inflight broadcasts?
United sponsors nine professional football teams in New York, Chicago, San Francisco, Houston, Washington D.C., Denver, Kansas City, Cleveland and Nashville, and expects to operate more than 200 team charter flights this season for 11 teams. The airline will also charter flights for the Washington Commanders, New Orleans Saints and San Francisco 49ers for international games in London, Paris and Mexico City.