Award-winning Apple TV+ series including Severance, Ted Lasso and Slow Horses are now available on United flights as the airline plans expansion to 300,000+ screens - more than any other US carrier. Olivia Palamountain reports

United Airlines passengers can now watch full seasons of Apple TV+ hit shows for free during flights, including Emmy-nominated series Severance, Ted Lasso and Slow Horses.

The collaboration makes United the first airline to offer Apple's premium streaming content across its entire fleet and through the United mobile app. The service launches with complete first seasons of five major Apple Original series, with additional content being added monthly.

The Morning Show and Bad Sisters will be added in September, with the airline planning to introduce more than 250 TV episodes, documentaries and films from Apple's catalogue.The partnership aligns with United's fleet expansion plans, which will see the airline install screens in hundreds of new aircraft and retrofit existing planes to reach 300,000+ screens - more than any other US carrier. Recent aircraft deliveries feature 27-inch, 4K OLED Bluetooth-enabled seatback screens, the largest among American airlines.

"Apple creates groundbreaking original series, and United travellers are going to love watching fan-favourite Apple Originals for free on their next flight," says Mark Muren, managing director of product, identity and loyalty at United. "We're setting a new standard for a premium inflight experience, and our first-of-its-kind collaboration with Apple TV+ gives fliers more high-quality content options on the latest high-definition seatback screens."

The service addresses a key challenge in air travel entertainment by allowing passengers to continue watching across multiple flights. Customers can start an episode on a short domestic route and resume viewing from the same point on their next United flight, or complete entire seasons during long-haul journeys.

The airline has previously collaborated with Apple on several passenger-focused technologies, including live flight updates for iPhone and Apple Watch users. United became the first US airline to support Live Activities, providing real-time flight information including boarding countdowns, gate numbers and baggage tracking directly to customers' lock screens.

The partnership also includes enhanced baggage tracking through Apple's AirTag integration, allowing passengers to share lost luggage locations with United's customer service team through the Find My network.