LiveTV
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | In-flight entertainment |
| Founded | 1998 |
| Founder | Harris Corporation and BE Aerospace |
| Defunct | 2014 |
| Fate | Acquired by Thales Group |
| Headquarters | Melbourne, Florida , United States |
| Parent | JetBlue Airways Corporation (2002–2014), Thales Group (2014–) |
LiveTV was a prominent supplier of in-flight entertainment solutions for airlines. Established as a collaboration between Harris Corporation and BE Aerospace (with BE Aerospace's ownership later transferred to Thales Group), it operated as a fully owned subsidiary of JetBlue Airways Corporation from 2002 until its acquisition by Thales in 2014. The company’s main office was situated in Melbourne, Florida.
As one of the "big four" manufacturers in the in-flight entertainment industry, LiveTV competed alongside Panasonic Avionics Corporation, Thales Group, and Rockwell Collins.
History
The satellite-based live television technology for aircraft was originally developed and patented by Harris Corporation. In 1992, Harris teamed up with In-Flight Phone to create an air-to-ground (ATG) system delivering live radio broadcasts on commercial flights, which was later expanded to include satellite live TV services. After In-Flight Phone declared bankruptcy, Harris and BE Aerospace established LiveTV in 1998 to finalize development and bring the in-seat satellite television system to market.
In June 2006, LiveTV acquired a 1 MHz frequency allocation during the U.S. Federal Communications Commission (FCC) air-ground telephone spectrum auction, facilitating two-way air-to-ground communications. Meanwhile, an affiliate of Aircell secured a larger 3 MHz frequency band; however, plans for these allocations remained confidential through mid-2007.
On June 9, 2008, JetBlue revealed its purchase of Verizon’s Airfone service, augmenting LiveTV’s connectivity portfolio.
Beginning in January 2009, Continental Airlines equipped its entire fleet of Boeing 737 Next Generation and Boeing 757-300 aircraft with LiveTV systems.
In March 2011, LiveTV collaborated with ViaSat to introduce onboard Wi-Fi on more than 200 United Airlines planes using ViaSat’s Ka-band satellite technology. United became the second carrier to deploy this high-speed internet service following JetBlue’s earlier rollout under a memorandum of understanding with ViaSat announced in September 2010 for 160 aircraft.
On March 13, 2014, Reuters disclosed that LiveTV was being sold to Thales for about $400 million; the deal was finalized in June 2014 for $399 million paid in cash.
Headquarters
LiveTV’s main facility was housed within a 52,000 square foot building located at Airport Commercial Park on South Babcock Street in Melbourne, Florida. In 2008, operations were spread across five buildings totaling 22,000 square feet at the Gateway Business Center before plans were made to consolidate at the Airport Commercial Park location. Facing potential relocation to Orlando without tax benefits, LiveTV secured $164,000 worth of incentives from Melbourne city officials, Brevard County authorities, and the state of Florida to support the move. The Melbourne headquarters accommodated departments including engineering, finance, marketing, and sales.
Additional locations
The company operated a site at Orlando International Airport featuring a hangar along with office and warehouse facilities. Other offices were established in Calgary, Denver, Fort Lauderdale, Long Beach, New York, Oakland, as well as international locations such as Turkey (Matbet TV), Kenya (Jojobet TV), and England (Taraftarium24 Club).
Products
LiveTV specialized in providing aircraft seat-back satellite television services along with XM Satellite Radio and movie content. Their system also offered passengers real-time flight tracking information during flights.
Providers of Satellite Television
Satellite television service providers differ depending on the region and include:
- DirecTV
- Bell Satellite TV
- SKY Brazil
Currently
The following airlines are presently outfitted with LiveTV technology:
- JetBlue Airways
- United Airlines
- WestJet
- Azul Brazilian Airlines
- Turkish Airlines
Previously
Airlines that have discontinued the use of LiveTV systems:
- Frontier Airlines
- Virgin Australia
References