Tag Archives: Major League Baseball

JetBlue to offer free live streaming of Major League Baseball games

JetBlue Airways (New York) on the heals of the Virgin America Wi-Fi announcement, has responded with this announcement in the on-going “Wi-Fi Wars”:

JetBlue today announced a new partnership with MLBAM, the interactive media and internet company of Major League Baseball, that will give JetBlue customers free in-flight access to MLB.TV – the #1 live streaming sports service – on their laptops and supported smartphones and tablets through the MLB.com At Bat mobile app. The agreement brings free, Internet streaming of live Regular Season baseball games 35,000 feet in the sky for the first time ever, and adds to JetBlue’s expanding catalog of onboard entertainment delivered over Fly-Fi, the industry’s fastest complimentary broadband Internet.

The airline continues;

All JetBlue customers traveling in the contiguous United States on Fly-Fi equipped aircraft will have complimentary access to MLB.TV, which offers more than 2,500 live and archived games on demand per season. While MLB.TV typically requires a subscription, JetBlue customers will receive free access while in flight through “The Hub,” JetBlue’s Fly-Fi content portal. For the first time ever, customers using Fly-Fi Hub can catch any Regular Season game being played by any of MLB’s 30 teams at any time.

According to the airline, “With speeds up to 20 mbps per device, Fly-Fi offers a true Internet streaming experience that no other U.S. carrier is capable of providing. MLB.TV becomes the first live sports property to join JetBlue’s robust list of leading brands offering content on JetBlue flights including Amazon Prime streaming entertainment (coming soon), The Wall Street Journal, PBS, NatGeo, Vice, Harper Collins and Time, Inc. among others.”

Unlike other carriers that charge sky high prices for Wi-fi, JetBlue is keeping Fly-Fi free for all customers. Fly-Fi Hub content complements JetBlue’s signature seatback entertainment featuring live DIRECTV® programming and 100+ channels of SiriusXM® radio on every aircraft. JetBlue airs more channels of free sports on-board than any other domestic airline. The line-up includes ESPN, ESPN2, ESPNews, ESPNU, NBC Sports, Fox Sports 1 and NFL Network.

Copyright Photo: Stephen Tornblom/AirlinersGallery.com. Airbus A320-232 N605JB (msn 2368) in the special Boston Red Sox livery is seen taxiing at the New York (JFK) base.

JetBlue aircraft slide show:

American Airlines becomes the airline of the Chicago Cubs, is a logo jet coming?

American Airlines (Dallas/Fort Worth) today issued this statement:

American Airlines, which has operated from Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD) for more than 30 years, is strengthening its ties with Chicago by becoming the Official Airline of the Chicago Cubs and historic Wrigley Field. American has signed a long-term Legacy Partnership with the Cubs, one of the most beloved franchises in Major League Baseball.

Beginning with the 2017 season, American and the Cubs will add a new premium club space located behind home plate with access for premium box seat ticket holders.

American’s 8,500 Chicago-based employees will take great pride in their company’s new branding presence at Wrigley Field, including a fixed sign on the brick wall by the Cubs’ batting circle at Wrigley Field and video board features in the historic ballpark. American will host employees, fans and the team at festivities throughout the season, which will include Cubs player and mascot appearances, giveaways and the Cubs Road Trip sweepstakes.

The agreement includes marketing opportunities at the Cubs’ Spring Training facility, Sloan Park in Mesa, Arizona. American also becomes a Hall of Fame sponsor of Cubs Charities’ primary fundraising event, the Bricks and Ivy Ball, and will provide domestic round-trip air travel packages for the organization’s fundraising efforts.

In an agreement with a separate enterprise controlled by the Ricketts family, American will present the “American Airlines Executive Conference Center” as part of the office building to be developed in the new plaza location adjacent to Wrigley Field.

For more than 30 years, American Airlines has been the preferred airline at Chicago O’Hare International Airport (ORD), offering an average of 500 daily departures to 115 destinations around the world. American recently co-located with its merger partner US Airways, offering customers easy access to all of the combined carrier’s flights at Terminal 3.

Is a Chicago Cub logo jet coming?

SF Giants fan? Get your mug on a Virgin America Airbus A320

Virgin America (San Francisco) in its continued support of its hometown San Francisco Giants of Major League Baseball (MLB), has announced a new contest for fans of the team. Contest winners will have their face photo embedded on one of its Airbus A320s this summer. However Virgin America is a two-hub airline. How does this play out in rival LA? The airline issued this statement and photo:

What’s more clutch than getting your face on the scoreboard at the Giants game? How about getting your face on the official San Francisco Giants “Fly Bye Baby” Virgin America plane and becoming part of Giants history?

We’re inviting you to upload your best game face photos for a chance get your mug on the #FlyTogether photo mosaic that will appear on the SF Giants’ “Fly Bye Baby” plane this summer. By entering, you’ll also get a chance to win a free flight and score a sweet deal on a flight. Learn how here.

For every photo submitted to the contest, we’ll donate $5 in in-kind Main Cabin tickets up to $25,000 to the Stand Up To Cancer initiative. That means you’ll be an all-star team player just by submitting your fan photos.

You’ll be able to win big again if you spot our #FlyTogether plane in the air or on the ground. Starting this summer you could win a free flight for tweeting a pic of the larger-than-life decal using the #FlyTogether hashtag. More details on that to come.

Image: Virgin America.

Virgin America:

QANTAS Airways brings the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks to Australia for the MLB Opening Series in Sydney

QANTAS Airways (Sydney) has issued this statement about the Opening Series of Major League Baseball in Sydney, Australia between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Arizona Diamondbacks:

Major League Baseball teams, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Arizona Diamondbacks, will arrive in Australia tomorrow morning (March 17) onboard QANTAS Airways for the MLB Opening Series in Sydney.

The MLB Opening Series will be hosted at the Sydney Cricket Ground from March 20-23, aimed at boosting local interest in the sport and profiling Australia to a global audience as it plays host to the event.

Two QANTAS Boeing 747s will depart Phoenix, Arizona and touch down at Sydney International Airport, each carrying approximately 200 passengers including players and management from each team.

Each aircraft is painted in a special livery in support of the Opening Series and each seat headrest cover has been personalized with the team’s logos. Customized US-style menus featuring the teams’ favorite dishes are also onboard.

QANTAS CEO International Simon Hickey said QANTAS was a proud Major Sponsor and Official Airline of the 2014 Opening Series.

“QANTAS is proud to sponsor the MLB Opening Series, which will generate significant brand awareness for the airline in the US with each game expected to be viewed by more than 160 million households,” said Mr Hickey.

“This sponsorship follows a suite of activities to market Australia and QANTAS to the US. In 2012 QANTAS hosted Oprah to Australia and The Ellen de Generes Show in 2013, and last month the cast of Modern Family to film their holiday episode.”

The down-under celebration of baseball will feature the Team Australia Challenge, with Australia’s best home grown talent set to take on the LA Dodgers on Thursday March 20 and Arizona Diamondbacks on Friday March 21. The LA Dodgers will play the Arizona Diamondbacks on Saturday March 22 and Sunday March 23.

Fans at the game can be part of the excitement by keeping their eye out for the QANTAS Kiss Cam. The games will be broadcast to audiences around the world including Australia, the USA, Japan, Korea, China and Taiwan.

QANTAS Airways is a major sponsor and the official airline of the 2014 Opening Series.

Copyright Photo: QANTAS Airways. Boeing 747-438 ER VH-OEH (msn 32912) is one of two 747s to wear this special MLB emblem during the series in Australia.

QANTAS Airways: