Partner spotlight: Gogo on eight years of working with Spafax

Partner spotlight: Gogo on eight years of working with Spafax

For nearly a decade, Spafax has supplied the television and movie content behind Gogo Vision, Gogo’s inflight entertainment product which is installed on more than 1,000 business aircraft worldwide.

We just signed a new contract with this longtime customer, and to celebrate, we spoke with Todd Krawczyk, Senior Director of Product Management at Gogo, about how the partnership works and where inflight entertainment in business aviation is headed next.

From commercial roots to an exclusive partnership

Krawczyk has spent 25 years in aviation, including nine at Gogo, where he oversees the company’s inflight entertainment products. The Spafax relationship, he explains, began on Gogo’s commercial aviation side.

“Direct licensing deals with studios had become increasingly expensive, and Spafax offered a better model: as a content aggregator, it could negotiate favorable terms at a scale no single customer could achieve on their own,” he said.

Spafax soon became the content supplier for both Gogo’s commercial and business aviation divisions. Then, when Gogo sold its commercial division in 2020 to focus exclusively on business aviation, the partnership entered a new chapter. Spafax became the exclusive TV and movie content aggregator for Gogo, under a dedicated agreement that holds to this day.

Content that’s always on board, always up to date

Gogo Vision is a bespoke inflight entertainment system developed by Gogo for business aircraft. It lets passengers stream entertainment directly to their own devices over the aircraft’s onboard Wi-Fi, but it also addresses a long-standing challenge in business aviation: streaming entertainment over a satellite connection, or the company’s air-to-ground solution, consumes significant bandwidth and cost.

With Gogo Vision, a robust catalog of curated TV and movie titles is stored directly on Gogo’s onboard equipment, available to passengers anywhere in the world – no connectivity required.

Updates to the content arrive automatically to the onboard system through proprietary wireless access points installed in hangars and at FBOs, so an aircraft’s library refreshes whenever it’s parked nearby. There are no drives to carry on board and nothing for the operator to manage.

More than a content supplier

For Krawczyk, the value of the partnership goes well beyond the catalog. Each year, Spafax negotiates with the studios on Gogo’s behalf and advises on which agreements offer the best value. Each month, Spafax curates the lineup, proactively suggesting seasonal packages to keep the selection fresh and appealing. Spafax also ensures that content is protected in line with the studios’ requirements.

“Their expertise is central to our strategy,” says Krawczyk. “Spafax provides the consistency needed to serve our full spectrum of customers – from individual owner-operators aiming for airline-quality inflight entertainment, to major fractional jet fleets where passengers expect an identical premium experience on every aircraft.”

Looking ahead

Satellite bandwidth in business aviation is continuing to grow, and passenger expectations are shifting toward an at-home streaming experience in the air. Krawczyk remains certain that stored content will remain an essential part of the equation; it’s a crucial element that works regardless of connectivity.

In addition, Gogo is developing a fully revamped entertainment platform that will bring Spafax’s TV and movies together with live television, e-magazines, weather, and a moving map in a single product. He’s also excited about the potential of AI and personalization.

“Customization will be a key differentiator in driving passenger engagement with in-flight entertainment,” he states. “Now in its eighth year, the Gogo and Spafax partnership continues to deliver on a strong foundation: Gogo powers the technology, while Spafax provides the high-caliber content that keeps passengers engaged.”