Delta to Stop Charging for In-flight Movies, TV Shows

3 Jun, 2016 By: Erik Gruenwedel

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Delta Air Lines will soon stop charging passengers who watch in-flight entertainment, including on-demand new-release movies and pay-TV shows.

The Atlanta-based carrier said its “Delta Studio” entertainment service will be available for free on 90% of its fleet by July 1. The airline, which flies about 180 million passengers annually, said Delta Studio offers connected passengers access to about 300 movies, 750 TV shows, 100 foreign films, 2,400 songs, 18 channels of live satellite TV on select aircraft, in addition to a selection of video games.

With airlines charging transactional VOD rental fees comparable with online and pay-TV digital platforms, Delta’s move could trigger an industrywide shift. American Airlines currently offers a 25% discount on movie rentals when using the carrier’s credit card.

“The only thing better than operating the world's largest in-flight entertainment-equipped fleet is providing it free to all our guests,” Tim Mapes, SVP and chief marketing officer, said in a statement. 

Delta (and other carriers’) passengers can currently choose from Warner Bros.’ Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice; Walt Disney Studio’s The Jungle Book, Zootopia and The Finest Hours, Universal Studio’s Hail, Caesar! and Triple 9, and 20th Century Fox’s Eddie the Eagle, among others. TV shows include Showtime's “Billions” and HBO's “Vinyl,” among others.

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