Stellar Entertainment has expanded its partnership with Azerbaijan Airlines (AZAL) to include creative design, editorial production, and inflight advertising sales through 2029. The agreement introduces a new in-flight entertainment (IFE) concept that will showcase Azerbaijan while giving the airline more control over its passenger-facing screens. Stellar will first launch the concept on AZAL’s Panasonic Astrova-equipped aircraft, making it the first content service provider (CSP) to create a full passenger-facing interface through Panasonic MI Studio.
Expanding Beyond Content
The agreement builds on AZAL’s decision to name Stellar its exclusive content service provider in 2025. Under that partnership, Stellar took responsibility for content curation, licensing, metadata preparation, and technical delivery while helping AZAL expand its mix of Azerbaijani and international entertainment.
Stellar will now take on a larger role in the IFE system, including its design, editorial content, and advertising. The agreement expands the partnership from managing entertainment to shaping more of what passengers see and use onboard.
At the center of the new concept is At the Heart of the World, inspired by Azerbaijan’s location between Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. The concept will highlight the country’s landscapes, culture, and identity through the IFE screen.
Six themes will rotate throughout a 12-month calendar, each with its own design, tone, and content collections. Stellar will change the themes around seasons, national celebrations, major events, and destinations, connecting the onboard content with what is happening in Azerbaijan.
“When we started working with AZAL last year, the ambition was always bigger than a content catalogue,” said Stellar Entertainment Chief Executive Officer Sam Allen. “This next step lets us shape the whole experience, the look, the feel, the story it tells. Being first to build a passenger interface through MI Studio means we can keep that experience alive and evolving, flight after flight.”
Stellar will also produce Discover Azerbaijan, a digital magazine available through the IFE system that will cover the country’s culture, nature, food and drinks, innovation, arts, and music. Working with the Azerbaijan Tourism Board and AZAL’s marketing team, Stellar will manage everything from research and image sourcing to writing and translation.
For AZAL, the IFE screen provides another way to introduce travelers to its home country as the airline expands its international network. Alongside movies, television, and other entertainment, passengers can use the platform to learn more about Azerbaijan.
“Our in-flight entertainment is more than part of the onboard experience. For many passengers, it is also their first introduction to Azerbaijan,” said Azerbaijan Airlines Director of Customer Experience Jonathan DeOliveira. “Together with Stellar, we are creating an experience that brings Azerbaijan’s landscapes, culture and identity to life throughout the year. As Azerbaijan Airlines continues to expand its global network, our in-flight entertainment provides another meaningful platform to showcase Azerbaijan to the world.”
Making the IFE Screen More Flexible
Through MI Studio, Stellar can update welcome pages, layouts, visual designs, and featured collections without waiting for the next full content update. This gives AZAL more flexibility to change what passengers see throughout the year.
The airline can highlight new routes, holidays, events, seasonal campaigns, and featured content as they happen. Rather than waiting for the next full content cycle, AZAL can make changes to parts of the IFE interface more quickly.
Stellar will bring the concept to AZAL’s other IFE systems, creating a more consistent look across the fleet. The systems may have different capabilities, but they will follow the same overall creative approach.
Passengers can explore AZAL’s entertainment before they board through an IFE microsite powered by Stellar’s pixL platform. The site will automatically update with each new content cycle.
Stellar will manage advertising across AZAL’s seatback and wireless entertainment platforms. The company will work with advertisers and manage campaigns, delivery, and reporting, giving brands another way to reach passengers while creating an additional revenue stream for AZAL.
