Spafax Expands IFE Offerings as The Hub Reaches 10-Year Mark
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This month, Spafax’s The Hub, a content management and delivery service for inflight entertainment (IFE), celebrates its 10th anniversary. The milestone coincides with several new developments in the company’s IFE offerings.
Since its establishment in 2014, The Hub has become an integral part of the IFE supply chain. Operating from Hollywood’s Sunset Gower Studios, it serves as a global platform for IFE content management, facilitating the transfer of entertainment content from studios to airlines worldwide.
Arthur Cuyugan, SVP of Technical Services at Spafax, reflects on The Hub’s evolution: “What began as a bold concept has grown into an essential component of the global IFE supply chain. We are delighted to celebrate all we’ve achieved over the past 10 years while continuing to drive the future of content delivery for our clients.”
Recently, Simply Aviation featured The Hub in a video, offering viewers insight into the process of delivering Hollywood movies to in-flight screens.
Concurrently, Spafax has been named a finalist for the Crystal Cabin Award in the “Best Customer Journey Experience” category. The nomination, to be announced at the upcoming APEX EXPO in Long Beach, recognizes Spafax’s “Connected Content Stream” (CSS) solution. Developed in partnership with Sportmonks, CSS aims to enhance the passenger journey by providing content throughout the trip, including real-time sports updates via a Live Ticker.
In another recent initiative, Spafax launched a dedicated “Friends” channel for inflight entertainment, celebrating the sitcom’s 30th anniversary. The “30 Years of Friends” channel offers 108 episodes from the show’s decade-long run. Rachael Harris-Boyce, Senior Account Director at Spafax, notes, “Friends has been a passenger favourite for as long as it’s been available on IFE…we are excited to offer this dedicated channel and are confident it will resonate strongly.”
As the aviation industry navigates post-pandemic recovery, airlines are reassessing their IFE strategies. The Hub’s model enables it to support various IFE approaches, from traditional seatback systems to streaming options. Spafax’s recent activities, including The Hub’s ongoing operations, new content channels, and the CSS solution, demonstrate the company’s efforts to adapt to industry trends.
Spafax CEO Niall McBain comments on the company’s trajectory: “The Hub is a true cornerstone of our global operations, allowing us to deliver the highest quality content to airlines and passengers worldwide. We are proud to be a trusted partner for content owners and airlines, delivering quality, security, and speed.”