Virgin America Debuts New Red™ In-Flight Entertainment Line-Up with More Live TV

SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 22, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Virgin America, the airline that is reinventing domestic travel, today announces a refreshed live satellite television line-up and new content additions to the Red™ in-flight entertainment platform. With over 700 hours of media content and award-winning interactive features, the Red system offers every guest a personal touch-screen entertainment center right at their seatback – with 24 television channels, more than 35 on-demand films, a 3,000 MP3 library (with the ability for travelers to build their own playlist), a Kid's entertainment platform (with parental controls), videogames, music videos, interactive Google Maps that track a flight's journey, a seat-to-seat text chat system and more.  Starting this month, Virgin America guests will now find even more content at their fingertips, with a new live satellite television channel line-up that features an expanded range of live sports and news programming.  With one of the largest television screens in the domestic skies and with the new channel line-up, sports fans will now be able to catch all the games of the fall season live at 35,000 feet, including: nationally televised baseball games on FOX (New York) and NHL games on NBC (New York).  Notably, football fans now won't miss a single touchdown this NFL season – with all televised games available on the carrier's live satellite TV.

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"With the largest media library in the skies, Virgin America has become the airline of choice for entertainment and sports fans," said David Cush, President and CEO of Virgin America.  "The Red platform provides a breadth and quality of content that is unrivalled, with a special focus on fresh television, film and music content that reflects our Virgin brand roots.  We're always listening to our flyers and expanding our line-up – and in addition to more eclectic content, our travelers have been asking for more live sports and news."  

Virgin America's entertainment content updates regularly and its new movie menu includes a diverse range of films, from foreign-language features to Hollywood blockbusters like Virgin Produced's "Limitless." The airline's entertainment menu also spotlights unique independent content across mediums – from film, to television and new media.  Coming this fall, Virgin America will debut curated content from the Webby-winning multi-media SHFT platform, which was founded by actor-filmmaker Adrian Grenier and film producer Peter Glatzer.  SFHT's mission is to share stories about how people from all walks of life are forging a more environmentally sustainable approach to living using video, design, art and culture.  SHFT  will premier on the Red platform fleetwide with its critically acclaimed "Lighten Up" web video series, which shows how musicians, artists and others are making small changes that add up to big improvements for the planet.  The Red system will house SHFT content alongside its "Make a Difference" platform, which gives flyers the opportunity to find out more about pro-social causes, donate (via a credit card swipe at each seat) and even offset the carbon footprint of their flight – from their seatback.  

"Peter and I are thrilled to have SHFT content featured on Virgin America. It's not only the coolest way to fly, but it's a responsible company in a sector where that's a rarity – it's a perfect fit for us," said Adrian Grenier.

Virgin America's New TV Channel Lineup:

• NBC-NY/WNBC (live) - NEW
• FOX News (live) NEW
• TBS (live) – NEW
• FOX-NY/WNYW (live) – NEW
• CNN (live)
• CNBC (live)
• MSNBC (live)
• FOX Cable (cached)
• CBS-NY/WCBS (live)
• The CW/KTLA (live)
• E! (live)
• ESPN (live)
• ESPN2 (live)
• BRAVO (live)
• FX (live)
• Disney (cached)
• USA (live)
• TNT (live)
• Comedy Central (live)
• WGN America - Chicago (live)
• DOC TV (cached)
• Current TV (cached)
• Boing Boing (cached)
• Onboard Virgin America channel (cached)

Expanded on-demand film library: The new Red lineup boasts a library of over 35 on-demand films ranging from the latest Hollywood blockbusters to indie favorites, including:

• Limitless
• Hall Pass
• X-Men First Class
• Arthur
• Rio
• Water for Elephants
• Source Code
• Thor
• Kung Fu Panda 2
• Take Me Home Tonight
• Beastly
• Rango
• Mars Needs Moms
• Unknown
• Cedar Rapids
• Of Gods and Men

"Best of the Web" Additions:  Includes a Red HOT destination series that takes you to an escape like no other where guests are quickly transported somewhere quite extraordinary.  The web series covers travel to Virgin America destinations like:

• Las Vegas
• San Francisco
• Los Angeles
• Fort Lauderdale
• Cancun
• Dallas
• Chicago
• New York

This Fall, Virgin America will also premiere  a new Hulu series, "A Day in the Life," produced by Oscar-nominated documentarian Morgan Spurlock ("Super Size Me," "Greatest Movie Ever Sold," "30 Days") that presents an intimate, first-hand account of a complete day in the lives of fascinating people.   This six-episode, half-hour documentary series features rapper/songwriter will.i.am, comedian Russell Peters, musician Girl Talk, street artist Mr. Brainwash, ballerina Misty Copeland, and Virgin Group's Founder – Sir Richard Branson. "A Day In the Life" can be seen exclusively on Hulu and Virgin America's Red system.  

Known for its inventive use of technology and the breadth of its content, the airline's entertainment platform has been named by the Airline Passenger Experience Association (APEX) as the Best In-Flight Entertainment (IFE) in the Americas and also honored as the Best Single Achievement in IFE.  Virgin America offers a touch-screen seatback monitor that is 25 percent larger than the average domestic coach in-flight entertainment system screen.  The Red platform offers touch-screen and remote control interactivity and a wealth of content and options, including:

• "Watch": Live satellite TV, cached specialty channels, 35+ on-demand films and premium TV like HBO
• "Play": A variety of videogames navigated by a Qwerty keyboard handset at every seat;
• "Talk": A seat-to-seat chat feature inside the aircraft, so guests can chat with someone in a nearby seat;
• "Journey": Interactive Google Maps that zoom at 8 levels and track the aircraft in-flight;
• "Eat": A first-of-its-kind on-demand menu that allows guests to order what they want, when they want it during a flight;
• "Shop": An on-demand shopping and a Make a Difference section;
• "Listen": A 3,000 MP3 library and platform to create playlists in-flight and an on-demand music video library.

About Virgin America: Headquartered in California, Virgin America offers guests attractive fares and a host of innovative features aimed at reinventing air travel.  In just over three years flying, Virgin America was named "Best Domestic Airline" in the Conde Nast Traveler 2008, 2009 and 2010 Readers' Choice Awards and "Best Domestic Airline" in Travel + Leisure's 2008, 2009 2010 and 2011 World's Best Awards.  The airline's current base of operations is San Francisco International Airport (SFO).  In April 2011, the airline became an anchor tenant at SFO's new sleek and sustainable Terminal 2.  Virgin America flies to San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York, Washington D.C., Seattle, Las Vegas, San Diego, Boston, Fort Lauderdale, Orlando, Dallas-Fort Worth, Los Cabos, Cancun and Chicago.  For more, please visit: www.virginamerica.com

SOURCE Virgin America