Netflix hopes to be entertaining us on grueling flights by 2018
In an attempt to expand streaming access (and make traveling more bearable), Netflix is taking flight in 2018.
As Variety reports, the company announced at Monday’s 2017 APEX Expo that it’s looking to partner with airline carriers in hopes of sharing its low-bandwidth mobile streaming technology with them to improve in-flight wi-fi speeds.
That means you could soon be streaming your favorite movies and television shows in the air with ease.
The idea is that if airlines offered passengers low-cost or free Wi-Fi — using Gogo’s 2Ku internet access, for example — travelers would be able to access Netflix from their personal devices in-flight. Those without Netflix memberships would be given the opportunity to sign up for a 30-day free trial, which could potentially attract more long-run subscribers.
According to Variety, Netflix said the bandwidth-efficient mobile technology would also allow airline carriers to save a whopping 75 percent on bandwidth costs.
Back in 2015, Netflix and Virgin America partnered up to strike a #NetflixOnboard deal — offering complimentary in-flight WiFi access to passengers so they could enjoy all the streaming service has to offer.
Currently, Netflix offers a download option for people onboard planes without Wi-Fi who want to continue their Netflix binges. The feature, which launched back in 2016, gave users the ability to download movies and TV shows to watch later. Though it allows for the convenience of offline viewing, not all content is available within the feature and downloads are limited.
Netflix has since partnered with Aeromexico, Qantas, and Virgin Australia — so it’ll be interesting to see how the company takes on American carriers in the coming months.
Mashable reached out to Netflix for additional comment.
Read more: http://mashable.com/2017/09/26/netflix-parnering-with-airline-carriers/