Air New Zealand switches on live sports TV

Get ready for some footy at 40,000 feet as Air New Zealand kicks off live streaming of the Sport 24 TV channel on its Boeing 777 and 787 jets.

And when we say “some footy”, we mean a lot of footy – the Rugby World Cup is a headliner, naturally, but there’s also the UK Premier League, UEFA Champions League and Nations League, North American NFL matches, local NRL and AFL games and more (alongside other sports such as Formula 1 motor racing, Wimbledon and the US Open plus golf and cycling). 

The airline says its “live TV entertainment trial will be rolled out progressively from today”, and leverages the WiFi service on these international aircraft to deliver on-field action to passengers in every seat.

Sport 24 is a dedicated sports channel for airlines and cruise ships: other airlines tuned into Sport 24 include Singapore Airlines, Emirates, ANA. Turkish Airlines, Fiji Airways and JetBlue.

“Just like most Kiwis, we’re crazy about rugby” admits Leanne Geraghty, Air New Zealand's Chief Customer and Sales Officer, although she suggests  passengers who are especially “passionate” about the sports will need to reign in the enthusiasm and “keep neighbours in mind when celebrating.”

That said, the airline’s suggesting that “cheering is encouraged, but please remain seated” won’t go down too well with those who would rather not have seatmates cheering, booing or generally barracking in their ear.

Regardless, for those who do enjoy a good game, the live Sport TV channel will definitely help pass the time on Air New Zealand’s 16-hour non-stop trek between Auckland and New York.

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As previously reported, Air New Zealand is now counting down to the arrival of its all-new Boeing 787 business class in September 2024, which will include the debut of eight private Business Premier Luxe suites.