Entertainment & Connectivity

IMG Media Brings Live Sports to the Skies Once Again

July 8, 2021 | Written by Stephanie Taylor

This weekend, Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra will be broadcasting some of the year’s top sporting events live in-flight.

Live sporting content has long been a valued facet of an airlines’ in-flight entertainment offering. During the 2018 World Cup, Sport 24 saw a huge spike in viewership, and airlines saw a boost to their Net Promoter Scores.

And following a disrupted year for sports in 2020 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the content will no doubt be welcome entertainment for the increasing number of passengers returning to the skies. “We pride ourselves on providing the best possible live sporting action so passengers can stay connected as they travel. This year is no exception,” explained Richard Wise, SVP Content and Channels at IMG Media.

Don’t worry about missing out on the sports action when you fly with us this summer. Watch your favourite games live at 40,000 feet on Emirates ice, our inflight entertainment system, including live coverage of the UEFA @EURO2020 and @Tokyo2020 Olympics. https://t.co/yTAlxQIDzA pic.twitter.com/Dkflk1C1qJ
— Emirates Airline (@emirates) June 22, 2021

Passengers traveling with airlines including Emirates, Etihad Airways and Turkish Airlines will be able to experience the UEFA Euro 2020 Final, which will see Italy battle it out against England on Sunday, July 11.

If they’re not football fans, passengers are in luck, as a bumper weekend of sporting activity means they can also tune into the Wimbledon Championship Finals, NBA Finals, Stanley Cup finals and the Scottish Open during their travels.

Then, for a week beginning this Sunday, passengers can look forward to the 2021 British Open before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics kicks off on July 21. Finally, sports enthusiasts can also catch the next swathe of MotoGP races, beginning on August 8 in Austria.

“We’re working with Panasonic Avionics and several airlines to include premium live sport in their in-flight entertainment offerings and have had great feedback from passengers who clearly enjoy being able to watch sporting events live during their flights,” Wise added.