Qatar Airways Leverages Starlink to Enable Live Streaming of IMG’s Sport 24
Originally published on APEX
All photos via Qatar Airways
Global sports and media giant IMG and Qatar Airways (Qatar) have announced a strategic partnership that will bring live sports channels Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra onboard Qatar’s flights in a move enabled by the carrier’s deployment of SpaceX’s high-speed Starlink satellite in-flight connectivity.
Stay in the Game Mid-Flight
With the partnership, Qatar Airways becomes the first global airline to offer Sport 24 as an integrated live sports and streaming experience. Passengers on Qatar Airways flights that are operated by Starlink-connected aircraft will be able to watch live coverage of premier sporting events on Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra delivered through Starlink’s high-speed and low-latency satellite internet.
The launch of the partnership precedes a packed global sporting calendar, which includes events such as Wimbledon, the FIFA Club World Cup 2025, and the British Open.
IMG President Adam Kelly explained, “Live sport is one of the last remaining appointment-to-view events that people prefer to watch in real-time. As consumer viewing habits continue to evolve, passengers want more ways to enjoy live sport onboard so they never have to miss a moment of the action.”
IMG owns Sport 24 and Sport 24 Extra, which are the only live sports channels available on commercial airlines today. Produced at IMG’s London studios, the channels were viewed by over 10 million passengers last year. Sport 24’s programming is curated to deliver marquee sports events as they happen. They hold the rights to broadcast many premier sports events, including the FIFA World Cup, UEFA Champions League, NBA, NFL, Formula 1, and Wimbledon.
Accessing Sport 24 onboard is designed to be effortless for travelers on Qatar Airways. The crystal-clear HD sports content can be streamed directly to passengers’ personal devices, such as smartphones, tablets, or laptops. Passengers on Starlink-connected flights can seamlessly access the Sport 24 web player by simply connecting to the Starlink Wi-Fi and then scanning a QR code onboard.
Qatar Airways Group CEO Badr Mohammed Al Meer commented, “Our partnership with IMG marks another leap forward in redefining the in-flight experience. As the first global airline to introduce Starlink’s high-speed connectivity combined with live sports streaming, we are proud to bring passengers closer to the sporting moments that matter most – wherever they are in the world. From football fans to tennis enthusiasts, this new offering ensures our guests never miss a second of the action at 35,000 feet.”
Reinventing Cabin Connectivity with Starlink
Qatar Airways first announced its Starlink partnership in October 2023 and began equipping its Boeing 777 fleet with the technology in October 2024. The decision to deploy Starlink across its fleet marked a significant step in redefining the passenger experience for airline passengers.
The inaugural Starlink-connected flight on a refurbished 777, QR1 from Doha to London Heathrow, took place on October 22, 2024. During the flight, APEX GCEO Dr. Joe Leader conducted a live mid-flight video interview with Qatar Airways SVP Product Development and Design Xia Cai, showcasing the system’s reliability.
The carrier announced in April that it had completed the Starlink installation on its entire 777 fleet and has since begun a fleet-wide upgrade on the Airbus A350 to equip the aircraft with Starlink, becoming the first airline in the world to bring cutting-edge connectivity to passengers onboard the A350 aircraft type. As of June 2025, the airline has completed over 12,000 Starlink-connected flights.
Starlink’s satellites operate in Low Earth Orbit (LEO) to provide a high-bandwidth, low-latency solution that makes real-time applications, such as HD video streaming, feasible even in remote airspace.
