Business United Taps Dish and Starlink for Live Professional and College Football Games News By George Winslow Published 17 September 2026 The deal brings live broadcasts to Starlink-enabled seatback screens on the airline When you purchase through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. Here’s how it works . (Image credit: United) Share Copy link Facebook X Linkedin Bluesky Email Share this article Join the conversation Follow us Add us as a preferred source on Google Newsletter Subscribe to our newsletter CHICAGO —United has inked a deal with Dish to provide live professional and college football broadcasts from ABC, CBS, NBC, FOX, FS1, ESPN, ESPN2, NFL Network and TNF on Prime Video on Starlink-enabled seatback screens for people flying on the airline. The games began being available this week and will continue through the Super Bowl in February. United expects to have Starlink on nearly 700 airplanes by then. Starlink’s WiFi in the sky and live TV streaming on seatback screens is now on board more than 220 mainline aircraft for customers in every class of service – up to 700 flights per day – with plans to reach 700 mainline planes early next year. The airline expects to complete installations before the end of 2027. Starlink is free for MileagePlus members in every class of service. "Starlink opens a whole new world of features and benefits for our customers, regardless of where they sit on the plane – now football fans don't have to schedule their flights around game day," said Andrew Nocella, United's executive vice president and chief commercial officer. "Instead, they can watch their favorite team on seatback and also make changes to their fantasy roster, text or live chat with friends, or even stream different games on their phone, laptop or tablet, just like they would do at home." You may like DirecTV to Launch Curated Multiview for Live Sports EverPass Media Expands NFL Offering with Netflix Deal DirecTV for Business Inks New Agreement to Sell ‘NFL Sunday Ticket’ United's new agreement represents a collaborative effort with Dish, utilizing its OnStream platform, to deliver content to next-generation aviation environments. "With United, we are helping to rewrite the inflight playbook," said Amir Ahmed, executive vice president, video services, Dish. "Whether you're sitting on your couch or cruising at 35,000 feet, you should be able to watch your favorite teams play. By pairing DISH's OnStream platform with United's Starlink connectivity, we're keeping fans connected to the moments that matter most." Get the TV Tech Newsletter The professional video industry's #1 source for news, trends and product and tech information. Sign up below. * To subscribe, you must consent to Future’s privacy policy. By submitting your information you agree to the Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy and are aged 16 or over. United said that the new service is just the latest example of how United is using Starlink to redefine the inflight entertainment experience. Last month, United partnered with ESPN to host a first-of-its kind live Fantasy Football Draft from 30,000 feet where ESPN analyst Tyler Fulghum made his picks live from the sky during the two-hour broadcast. And earlier this summer, United customers could stream the biggest soccer tournament in the world onboard Starlink-powered domestic flights. Starlink is now active on more than 560 United mainline and United Express® aircraft and the airline has already flown more than 31 million passengers on Starlink-powered aircraft across more than 464,000 flights, powering 14.2 million devices. TOPICS Dish sports CATEGORIES Business George Winslow George Winslow is the senior content producer for TV Tech . He has written about the television, media and technology industries for nearly 30 years for such publications as Broadcasting & Cable , Multichannel News and TV Tech . Over the years, he has edited a number of magazines, including Multichannel News International and World Screen , and moderated panels at such major industry events as NAB and MIP TV. He has published two books and dozens of encyclopedia articles on such subjects as the media, New York City history and economics. 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