- Katy Bachman, Mediaweek

NEW YORK JetBlue Airways has joined Airline TV, IdeaCast's in-flight content and advertising platform. The agreement gives IdeaCast the exclusive right to sell video ads and provide branded content on JetBlue's digital media network, which serves more than 21 annual million customers on more than 500 daily flights.

In addition, IdeaCast will provide advertising on JetBlue's non-video assets such as seat-back card ads and sampling.

IdeaCast launched Airline TV in May through a deal with JetBlue's wholly owned subsidiary LiveTV, giving the out-of-home network company the exclusive rights to sell LiveTV video on Continental Airlines and Frontier Airlines. All told, Airline TV is projected to reach 45 million passengers by the end of 2009 and up to 70 million passengers by 2010.

"By adding JetBlue to our Continental Airlines and Frontier Airlines packages, we will provide an effective, Nielsen-measured nationwide advertising platform for marketers and media buyers," said Jason Brown, president of sales and marketing at IdeaCast.

Inventory available to advertisers on the JetBlue digital media network includes the airline's new Times on Air channel and the GPS map channel, as well as the opportunity to create custom-branded channels. The network also offers 36 channels of DirecTV programming and more than 100 channels of Sirius XM Satellite Radio.