Key Points
- DIRECTV and Google are working on an integrated hotel connectivity platform for smart TVs.
- The platform will allow hotel guests to watch live TV from DIRECTV and access an expanded assortment of streaming apps like YouTube, Netflix, Disney Plus and Apple TV Plus.
- Data shows in-room smart TV and connectivity features rank high on a guest’s list of priorities when deciding where to stay.
DIRECTV is working with Google on a new hospitality solution that will bring upgraded, more-personalized entertainment and connectivity experiences to hotels across the United States, the companies announced on Monday.
The partnership will see Google integrate its Android TV operating system into DIRECTV’s Advanced Entertainment Platform, which allows hotel guests to watch live channels from DIRECTV for Business in addition to connected TV apps like Netflix, Paramount Plus with Showtime and Music Choice.
The arrangement will allow hotel guests to watch even more streaming apps from a single experience, including Apple TV, Disney Plus, Amazon’s Prime Video, YouTube and others that are supported via the Google Play Store. The user experience will be powered by Google TV, which will already be familiar to guests who have Android TV-powered smart TVs and streaming devices in their homes.
Google Cast will also play a role in the new arrangement: The protocol allows guests to stream content from their computers, tablets and phones to their in-room TVs, which will unlock even more entertainment and information content.
“Today’s hospitality guests expect the same personalized entertainment experiences in the guest room that they enjoy at home,” said Doug Eichler, the Senior Vice President of DIRECTV Hospitality. “This relationship with Google allows us to integrate premier consumer streaming experiences into our Advanced Entertainment Platform, which helps us continue to deliver value for both guests and hotel owners and operators alike.”
Shalini Govil-Pai, the Vice President and General Manager of TV Platforms at Google, said the collaboration marks an expansion of Google TV’s presence beyond consumer products.
“Entering the business-to-business market with DIRECTV allows us to bring the market-leading TV OS to the hospitality industry,” she said.
The partnership is intended to give hotels new flexibility in meeting guest expectations for in-room entertainment as traditional television services evolve to include streaming and casting technologies. Data shared by DIRECTV showed four two out of five guests are more likely to return to a property if it offers enhanced in-suite connectivity options, and about the same number are more likely to recommend a hotel to someone else if they have an enjoyable experience with their connected TV experience. The numbers are even higher when viewed among guests between the ages of 21 and 49 years old.
Among all guests, having good in-suite TV content and connectivity features ranks higher than the quality of room service food, room lighting and having appliances like a coffee maker or microwave, survey data showed. The TV ranked as the fourth most-important factor in choosing a room, just below cleanliness, the comfort of the bed and the quietness of the environment.
Google and DIRECTV said more information about their partnership, including the hotel brands that will feature the new connectivity platform, will be announced at a later date.
