Podcast Summary: Behind the Numbers—The Next Generation of In-Flight Advertising

Podcast: Behind the Numbers: an EMARKETER Podcast
Episode Title: The Next-Generation of In-Flight Advertising: Passenger Receptiveness, Contextual Campaigns, and What Comes Next
Date: December 22, 2025
Host: EMARKETER
Guests:

• Jeremy Goldman, Senior Director of Content, EMARKETER
• Raghu Kamakshi Sundaru, VP of Media & Monetization, Viasat Ads

Episode Overview

This episode delves into the rapidly evolving landscape of in-flight advertising. Host Jeremy Goldman and guest Raghu Kamakshi Sundaru discuss how inflight ads are shifting from static, impersonal exposures to data-driven, contextual experiences—leveraging new connectivity capabilities, programmatic buying, and targeted campaigns based on flight routes, events, and passenger behavior. The conversation touches on passenger receptiveness, the challenges of measurement, privacy considerations, and future trends for brands seeking high-impact engagement above the clouds.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

1. Current State and Evolution of In-Flight Advertising

• Traditional In-Flight Ads:

  • Historically, inflight ads consisted of non-skippable pre-roll videos, printed napkins, seat-back flyers, and brochures—"borderline annoying" and poorly targeted.
    • “If you’re on a long flight, you might be very familiar with this where these ads are not skippable, not targeted, not personalized and borderline annoying to the passengers.” – Raghu [04:51]
  • Brands weren’t associated with a positive experience due to lack of personalization.

• Current Innovations by Viasat:

  • Real-time digital advertising capabilities brought to the inflight experience via Viasat connectivity.
  • Targeted delivery of ads based on flight data, with over 4,000 Viasat-equipped aircraft worldwide.
  • Offering free internet in exchange for ad views—a value exchange that gives passengers choice and improves brand recall.

2. Contextual & Targeted Ad Campaigns

• Types of Targeting

  • Ads can be targeted based on flight origin, destination, route, time, content watched, and inferred audience type (business vs. leisure).
  • Focus on contextual targeting rather than individual-level personalization, addressing privacy concerns.
    • “There is a balance between personalizing for the passenger versus personalizing for the context of your journey... We are more on the end of, hey, context is more important.” – Raghu [14:34]

• Event-Based Targeting

  • Brands can “take over” events by targeting flights into destinations hosting large conferences or cultural events (e.g., CES, Boston Marathon), enabling a massive share of voice.
    • “Just using this contextual data has been a huge driver of performance for an ad campaign.” – Raghu [09:07]
    • Example: Running shoe brand targeting Boston flights around Boston Marathon time.

• Captive Audience Advantage

  • Inflight environment offers an opportunity for longer-form ads and storytelling, as passengers are less distracted than when browsing on personal devices.
    • “You have a captive audience in a way that has kind of gone to the wayside... the ability to kind of lean into a format that is a little bit more long form… is very valuable for certain types of advertisers.” – Jeremy [12:35]

3. Personalization vs. Privacy

• While the technology allows for highly personalized ads (even down to the individual seat), Viasat prioritizes context and aggregated insights over intrusive individually-targeted advertising, in line with increasing consumer sensitivity toward data privacy in digital environments.
  • “It’s really the journey, the origin, destination, the region, the time. The airline gives you a wealth of information… it’s more contextual than personal.” – Raghu [14:34]

4. Technical and Industry Challenges

• Connectivity as Foundation:

  • For dynamic, relevant ads, both aircraft and passengers must be connected—a barrier for legacy fleets or routes.
  • In-air servers are sometimes required for real-time ad serving (distinct from cloud systems used on the ground).
    • “The aircraft has to be connected, the passengers have to be connected. Connectivity is a foundational component that you need.” – Raghu [16:45]

• Measurement & Attribution:

  • Traditional digital attribution (clicks, conversions, QR code scans) is difficult due to limited passenger connectivity and engagement restrictions.
  • Viasat is developing aggregate-level tracking and unique methods (e.g., linking device scans to seat locations) to tie exposures to outcomes.
    • “You can show a QR code to scan that to connect who that person is sitting in a specific seat and be able to attribute and track the performance of ad exposure for that person.” – Raghu [18:38]

5. Future Trends & What’s Next

• Branding and Beyond:

  • Inflight ads will increasingly enable transactional experiences, not just brand awareness—potential return of in-flight shopping/catalogs, now digital and interactive.
    • “We can also enable any kind of transaction with the passengers… turning the inflight experience into more of not just like awareness, but also retail and transaction experiences in flight.” – Raghu [23:05]

• Programmatic Buying at Scale:

  • Rapid expansion of real-time, programmatic buying for inflight ad inventory.
    • “Most of this is not bought through the digital ad ecosystem. But that’s going to change… in 2026. We are also bringing more real-time access to this ad inventory at scale across airlines.” – Raghu [24:10]
    • “Being programmatic is another aspect of bringing real-time advertising in flight.” – Raghu [25:52]

• Passenger Expectations:

  • As at-home digital experiences become more seamless and personalized, passengers will expect similar ad relevance and utility in-flight.

• Industry Forecast:

  • Viasat expects inflight ad inventory and digital capabilities to grow dramatically in 2026—reaching over a quarter billion passengers annually.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

• On the Move From “Annoying” Inflight Ads:

  • “It's not great for the brand that advertises either because they are not being associated with a good experience.” – Raghu [04:51]

• On the Power of Contextual Data:

  • “Just in this case like in context is the destination. And that can be used very powerfully by advertisers.” – Raghu [10:16]

• On the "Event Takeover":

  • “A brand that may be promoting at that event can expose their brand to the travelers into the event while they are in flight.” – Raghu [09:07]
  • “That is an opportunity for the advertiser… to really capture a high share of voice of passengers going to the demand.” – Raghu [11:33]

• On Future Growth:

  • “Inflight ad inventory… is expected to grow dramatically in 2026.” – Raghu [24:10]
  • “We are also bringing more real-time access to this ad inventory at scale across airlines to all advertisers.” – Raghu [24:55]

Timestamps for Key Segments

• [04:51] – The “annoying” state of traditional inflight ads and the Viasat vision
• [06:56] – How ads are now targeted contextually (routes, destinations, cabin class, etc.)
• [09:07 – 11:33] – Use cases: Event-based takeovers (e.g., CES, marathons), business/leisure route targeting
• [12:35 – 13:18] – The value of the inflight “captive audience” and long-form ads
• [14:34] – Balancing personalization and privacy; focus on context over individuals
• [16:24 – 18:08] – Industry and technical challenges: connectivity, servers, ad curation
• [18:38] – Measurement and attribution in a unique environment
• [20:51 – 23:05] – The future: interactive, transactional experiences, return of inflight shopping
• [24:10 – 25:52] – Programmatic buying and projected inventory growth

Episode Tone

The tone is conversational and optimistic, with a mix of strategic vision and practical insight. Both speakers note the unique challenges and high potential ROI of next-generation in-flight advertising. Raghu provides clear-eyed perspectives on privacy, technological hurdles, and the pace of industry transformation, while Jeremy underlines the excitement of greater targeting and value for both brands and travelers.

For Listeners Who Haven't Tuned In...

This episode offers an in-depth look at how inflight advertising is joining the digital revolution—moving far beyond static magazine ads to dynamic, contextual, and programmatically bought campaigns that capitalize on passenger context, destination insights, and even traveler intent. With real examples and industry forecasts, it’s an essential listen for advertisers, media buyers, and tech enthusiasts interested in the evolving frontiers of location-based marketing and the connected travel experience.