(March 1, 2017) DEARBORN, Mich. — Ford is reinventing the way drivers and passengers entertain themselves while on the road, offering new ways to wirelessly stream live TV and listen to music in its newest SUVs. These new features are a result of shifting trends toward streaming services, whether for television shows, movies, music, podcasts and more.

For example, one in three U.S. consumers currently listen to streaming music, according to trade association IFPI, with Generation Z and Millennials streaming at a more frequent rate.

“Increasingly, our on-the-go customers are streaming music and television to their personal devices,” said Michael O’Brien, Ford SUV Group Marketing manager. “We’re meeting this demand in our biggest and smallest SUVs.”

In the all-new Expedition, available this fall, an available Wi-Fi hotspot supports as many as 10 devices at once — up to 50 feet from the vehicle — while an available dual-headrest rear seat entertainment system provides a next-generation video experience that allows passengers to watch live TV via SlingPlayer on either of two video screens. The system represents the first time SlingPlayer —  which connects to a user’s home Slingbox account — is offered in an automobile.

In the all-new EcoSport, available in early 2018, as well as in the new Expedition, Ford offers stream-friendly technology including Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, SiriusXM radio, an 8-inch touchscreen, and USB ports and power outlets that allow customers to connect and charge their many devices and listen to or watch content on-demand.



These media experiences are bolstered in both Expedition and EcoSport by the high-quality audio of the available Ford-exclusive B&O PLAY Premium Audio System.

When the 2018 Ford Expedition reaches showrooms later this year, passengers will be able to use the available dual-headrest rear seat entertainment system monitors to watch movies and video — even TV shows and live sporting events — streamed from a home cable or satellite system.*

The system, called EVO by developer VOXXHirschmann Corp., includes two 8-inch monitors integrated into the back of the front-seat headrests, a secure, in-vehicle wireless network hub that enables passengers to connect using a mobile device, and a host of sources by which to view content – including an industry-first SlingPlayer that lets them connect to a home cable or satellite system and watch live TV on the road.

“This entertainment system creates an entirely new viewing experience in the vehicle,” said Craig Patterson, Ford Expedition brand marketing manager. “It brings the smart TV experience to Expedition. Together, they completely change the dynamic of a family road trip.”

SlingPlayer is software embedded into the entertainment system that lets passengers connect to a home-based Slingbox system to watch and control the TV signal.