Dish and Southwest Airlines partnership enables in-flight live TV on iDevices

'TV Flies Free' on Southwest Airlines Compliments of DISH

If you’re a Southwest Airlines customer, starting today you can get free live TVĀ onboard, thanks to the company’s partnership with Dish. Free live and on-demand TV is available on all Wi-Fi equipped Southwest flights, which is about three-quarters of the airline’s fleet.

Even better, you can watch TV on your iPhone or iPad instead of tiny screens built into seats. They spared no expense so Dish’s ‘Boston Guy’ surprised each of the more than a hundred Southwest Customers with a free iPad 2 in honor of the new partnership…

Passengers can stream live and on-demand TV to their iPhone, iPad and iPod touch devices, as well as to other smartphones and tablets.

There are 75 on-demand titles initially available for free, “a savings of $5 per day”. Neither company would say when this time-limited promotion is set to expire.

Check out the promo clip featuring Dish’s ‘Boston Guy’ (you may remember him from Dish’s ‘Hoppa’ commercials).

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N9vX8hPbUFM

In-air access to live TV, on-demand programming and Wi-Fi connectivity is delivered by Southwest’s satellite-based in-flight entertainment and connectivity partner, Row 44, a subsidiary of Global Eagle Entertainment, Inc.

Here’s the partnership announcement on Southwest’s in-flight entertainment system.

ƔTV Flies Freeƕ on Southwest Airlines Compliments of DISH

According to a media release, live and on-demand in-flight content is being served to customers’ iDevices via Dish’sĀ Anywhere and Hopper Transfers apps. These programs also support DVR recordings and on-demand shows via Wi-Fi or Hopper Transfers.

The live TV lineup currently features Bravo, CNBC, FOX 5 New York (WNYW), FOX Business Network, FOX News Channel, Golf Channel, MLB.com (Major League Baseball, when games are available), MSNBC, NBC 4 (WNBC), NFL Network, Food Network, HGTV and Travel Channel.

Popular TV show episodes are also available on demand as part of the TV lineup.