While streaming ESPN in your hotel might not look any better on DISH than on another provider, what truly sets DISH Business apart is how the company designs its products. The company keeps in mind its three core principles: 1. Delivering added value to its customers; 2. Anticipating guest expectations not just for today but for the next five years; and 3. Ensuring its solutions work within its customers’ existing infrastructures.
So when the company built OnStream, those principles were front and center. “Hotels need more than just an entertainment platform—they need tools that drive real value,” said Peter Feeney, vice president of DISH Business. “That’s why we took its customization capabilities well beyond simple branding. With OnStream, hoteliers can tailor the in-room TV experience to highlight what matters most to their business—whether that’s showcasing on-site dining to boost non-room revenue, featuring local businesses to generate ad dollars or trade for perks like catered staff lunches, or creating a unique visual experience for specific group room blocks to make their stay more personal and memorable. We’re giving them a powerful tool—they get to decide how to use it to their advantage.”
The company’s SmartBox technology works as a simple, standalone, live TV solution or as the “backbone” for live TV in any entertainment platform—whether it’s OnStream or the brand-standard systems used by brands like Marriott and Hilton.
“OnStream is our proprietary entertainment platform that brings live TV, streaming and casting together in one easy-to-use experience,” Feeney said. “Hoteliers love its deep customization tools as they drive revenue, its direct connection to the Google Play Store to keep streaming app selection relevant and up to date and its automatic credential clearing for guest security.”
According to Feeney, another key differentiator is the technology’s ability to keep hotels ahead of guest expectations. “The way people consume content is constantly evolving, and hotels need a solution that can keep up,” he said. “With OnStream’s direct integration with the Google Play Store, hoteliers can easily add new apps to their TVs without waiting for a product team to develop a custom integration—something our major competitors don’t offer.”
This ensures guests always have access to the latest content, which is essential in an industry where a single hit show can make a streaming app indispensable overnight.
The customization aspect is what makes the DISH product superior, Feeney said. “We have the technology where each brand, each portfolio, each single property, and even to a degree, each individual room, can use our content management profile to design specific welcome screens and packages for those rooms. We are so proud of the technology, but we’re also extremely proud about how user friendly that CMP is, where the individual property manager can go in and change it daily if he wants.”
“Whether it’s welcoming a wedding party with a personalized greeting from the bride and groom, highlighting on-property amenities or driving additional revenue through local advertising, OnStream goes beyond entertainment.”
The History
DISH started as EchoStar in 1980, founded by Charlie Ergen, Candy Ergen and Jim DeFranco. In 1996, the company we now know as DISH Network was launched. In 2016, the company introduced SmartBox—the first technology of its kind—which redefined how large properties deliver TV. This “ultimately paved the way for us to launch the DISH Business brand,” Feeney said. “DISH Business now powers over 2 million rooms, serving as the preferred TV provider for leading hotel brands and independent properties across the United States.”
Clicking with Clients
DISH has relationships with all the major brands to educate and inform those major players with the new technology and upgrades but the actual installation and service is done through its partner channels, integrators, private cable operators and retailers, Feeney said. “What we do specifically is educate, inform and try to inspire them about our technology.”
This article was originally published in the April edition of Hotel Management magazine. Subscribe here.