Air Canada pushes content range in major IFE update

Air Canada plans a major boost to its inflight entertainment catalog. Starting this month, in partnership with Anuvu‘s content group, the carrier will now carry more than 1,000 movies on board its aircraft.

Anuvu’s advanced technology will help take our award-winning in-flight entertainment product to the next level, further solidifying Air Canada’s leadership in offering an unparalleled range of content onboard.

– Norman Haughton, Director of In-Flight Entertainment and Connectivity Product and Analytics at Air Canada

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The volume of content planned for the aircraft (3,500+ TV episodes, in addition to all the movies) is massive. The diversity of the selection will also be far broader. Anuvu will source Canadian (English and French), Indian, and Asian options on board through acquisitions from distributors such as Skeye, Shemaroo Entertainment, and Anuvu Distribution.

Anuvu will also help grow Air Canada’s existing relationships with popular streaming brands. Moonbug (Cocomelon) will offer kids’ TV content in both English and French for the carrier, along with exclusive short-form content from various providers.

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Separate from the expanded selection, Air Canada and Anuvu expect to make content on board a more dynamic experience for passengers. Estibaliz Asiain, EVP Media & Content at Anuvu, notes that the pair have teamed “to revolutionize traditional monthly content cycles by updating and refreshing Air Canada’s IFE offerings more frequently, ensuring passengers have access to time-sensitive content within days rather than months.”

The companies also highlight Anuvu’s technology for improving the search and discoverability of the vast onboard content collection. Exactly how that would work, especially given the IFE system is managed by other suppliers, is less clear.

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For those convinced that inflight internet – free or otherwise – will ultimately drive airlines away from large content libraries, this move seems to be a(nother) nod in the opposite direction. Air Canada has steadily been moving towards complimentary connectivity options for its passengers, but is also willing to invest heavily in on-board content.