United Airlines Expands IFE with Dedicated Peacock Channel
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United Airlines is expanding its in-flight entertainment (IFE) offering with the launch of a dedicated Peacock channel, bringing NBCUniversal streaming content directly to passengers across its fleet. The new channel introduces popular Peacock originals and award-winning series to more than 160,000 seatback screens and to personal devices through the United mobile app.
United Expands Its Premium Entertainment Strategy
Available from May 1, the new Peacock channel adds another major streaming brand to United’s growing inflight content lineup. Passengers can now access select Peacock originals and exclusive series directly through the airline’s onboard platform. Launch titles include Season 4 of The Traitors, along with All Her Fault, The Paper, and Poker Face. Additional Peacock exclusives, including The Copenhagen Test and Ponies, are expected to join the platform in June.
“Entertainment plays a central role in the onboard customer experience, and we’re continuing to expand both the quality and variety of what’s available.”
– Dominic Green, United Airlines
The dedicated Peacock section will be available across more than 800 aircraft equipped with seatback screens, as well as on passengers’ own devices through the United mobile app. By integrating the content directly into both viewing environments, United is giving travelers more flexibility in how they access entertainment during the flight.
“Entertainment plays a central role in the onboard customer experience, and we’re continuing to expand both the quality and variety of what’s available,” said United Airlines Director of Inflight Entertainment Dominic Green. “With these popular series from Peacock, we’re introducing a standout lineup of widely recognized series to our seatback screens and personal device entertainment, further strengthening our premium inflight entertainment offering and giving customers more engaging ways to spend their time in the air.”
The launch also highlights how airlines increasingly view entertainment as part of the broader premium travel experience rather than just a basic onboard feature. Content partnerships with streaming services help carriers differentiate themselves while creating a more familiar digital environment for passengers.
United has been particularly aggressive in expanding its content ecosystem. In addition to Peacock, the airline already offers entertainment partnerships with major brands including Apple TV, HBO Max, A24, and Spotify. This strategy lets the airline continuously refresh its library with recognizable and culturally relevant programming while giving passengers more variety across genres and viewing preferences.
United is not the first airline to partner with Peacock. In spring 2023, Peacock became the exclusive streaming partner of JetBlue, with the airline offering a curated selection of Peacock Originals on seatback screens and the full Peacock library on personal devices through the airline’s Fly-Fi connectivity platform. Featured titles included Bel-Air, The Best Man: The Final Chapters, Pitch Perfect: Bumper in Berlin, and Poker Face.
Building One of the Largest In-flight Content Libraries
However, United’s Peacock launch builds on what has become one of the most extensive entertainment libraries among US airlines. United now offers more than 1,600 hours of content onboard, including over 450 movies, more than 1,000 TV episodes, over 100 international titles, and more than 140 hours of podcast programming.
That scale reflects broader changes in passenger behavior. Travelers increasingly expect the same level of content access onboard that they experience at home through streaming platforms and connected devices. To support that demand, United has invested heavily not only in content licensing but also in onboard entertainment hardware and digital infrastructure.
The airline currently operates more than 800 aircraft equipped with Bluetooth-enabled seatback screens, the largest such deployment among US carriers. Bluetooth connectivity has become increasingly important as more travelers use wireless headphones and personal audio devices throughout the journey.
United is also introducing new aircraft equipped with 27-inch 4K OLED seatback screens in premium cabins as part of its ‘United Elevated’ interior, which it says are the largest among US carriers. Higher-resolution displays, larger screens, and improved interface design are helping airlines position seatback entertainment as a premium differentiator, even while more passengers use their own devices to browse the web. Indeed, new research from Panasonic Avionics Corporation indicates that seatback IFE engagement increases slightly on connected aircraft.