When frontier airlines began changing its fleet design in 2002, seatback TVs for every passenger were among the proposed modifications. Yet while the carrier inked a deal with Directv (with 20-odd
channels during each flight), the notion of an empty screen in front of those passengers not willing to pay struck its executives as a wasted opportunity. Enter Mphasis Integrated, a Denver-based
company housing separate ad, interactive, and sponsorship components. The firm proposed creating a free original TV channel, Wild Blue Yonder (WBY), and a Web component to the mix.
The
network offers a range of short-format content - think BMW Films, but with an outdoors, semi-independent bent - and hopes to add house-branded entertainment programming.
A-list advertisers
like Subaru are now on board. "It's a captive audience that's going somewhere to spend money," quips WBY's CEO, David Henry.