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- DIRECTV HOSPITALITY offers international channel packages in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Russian for hotels.
- International programming lets overseas guests follow news, sports, and shows from home in their own language.
- Hotels near airports, business districts, tourist destinations, and convention centers tend to see the strongest demand.
- Guest demographic data is the best starting point for choosing which international packages to add.
Why DIRECTV HOSPITALITY International Channels Matter for Hotel Properties
Earlier this year, the National Travel and Tourism Office (NTTO) projected 70.5 million international visitors to the U.S. in 2026, up from 68.3 million in 2025. While the agency expected the 2026 FIFA World Cup to drive part of that growth, for hotel managers, those numbers still point to a potentially large untapped opportunity.
In addition, many international travelers tend to stay longer than domestic travelers. In early 2025, overseas visitors spent an average of more than 15 days per trip, according to NTTO survey data. That adds up to a lot of nights in hotel rooms far from home. Yet many hotel channel lineups offer little programming in languages other than English. After a long day of travel, a guest from Seoul, Manila, or Milan may want entertainment that feels more familiar.
If your hospitality property hosts overseas guests, adding international channels to your lineup can help your hotel stand out. In this post, we cover the international packages available through DIRECTV, the guests they attract, and how to choose the right mix for your property.
Where Hotels See the Most Demand for International TV Channels
International travelers tend to follow similar patterns wherever they go. They fly into major airports, stay close to where they work, and plan trips around big attractions. As a result, a hotel’s location says a lot about how many international guests it may host.
Here are a few location types where international programming often makes the biggest impact.
- Hotels Close to Airports – These properties serve a steady stream of international travelers on layovers and early departures.
- Business District Hotels – Properties near multinational companies host visiting executives and project teams.
- Hotels Near Convention Centers and Exhibition Halls – Properties close to large venues fill up when international events come to town.
- Hotels Near Theme Parks and Attractions – Resorts and hotels near major attractions welcome families who travel from overseas for the experience.
- Hotels Around National and State Parks – Properties near state and national parks and monuments draw international visitors on scenic road trips.
- University and Medical Center Hotels – Visiting students, researchers, patients, and their families often travel from abroad.
- Border Region Hotels – Properties near land crossings welcome travelers who drive in from neighboring countries.
If your property fits one or more of these descriptions, international guests may already be part of your mix. Your booking data can confirm it and show which countries your guests call home.
International TV Channels and Packages Available for Hotels
DIRECTV HOSPITALITY offers international à la carte packages along with Spanish-language packages. Each package delivers news, entertainment, and in many cases sports from its home region.
Here is a closer look at what each language group includes.
- Chinese – ChineseDirect and MandarinDirect III carry channels such as CCTV-4, CTI Zhong-Tian, and Phoenix.
- Filipino – FilipinoDirect includes The Filipino Channel, ABS-CBN News Channel, and Cinema One Global.
- Italian – ItalianDirect brings Rai Italia, Rai News, and Mediaset Italia to the guest room.
- Korean – KoreanDirect covers networks such as KBS World, MBC, SBS, and YTN.
- Vietnamese – VietDirect Plus carries SBTN, VGN-TV, and Film 24H.
- Japanese and Russian – Nippon TV and RTVI are each available as a single-channel add-on.
- Spanish – Packages such as En Español carry networks like Telemundo, UniMás, ESPN Deportes, and TyC Sports.
For hotels, DIRECTV lists these international add-ons with per-room pricing. Some Telemundo programming is not available in certain markets, so availability can vary by location.
How To Choose the Right International Packages for Your Hotel
The simplest approach starts with the guests you already have. DIRECTV recommends that hotels review guest data to find their most common countries of origin first. From there, a few practical steps help the lineup pay off.
1 – Start with guest data – Pull property management system reports to see where your guests travel from most often.
2 – Match packages to those markets – Choose the language packages that line up with your top source countries first.
3 – Decide where to show it – International channels can run in guest rooms, the lobby, or other shared spaces.
4 – Promote the lineup – Mention international programming on your website, social channels, and review responses.
5 – Train your team – Front desk and concierge staff should know which channels exist and how guests can find them.
Once the lineup is live, revisit it every year or so. Guest mix shifts over time, and your channel choices should keep pace.
The Guests International Programming Helps Your Hotel Attract
With the lineup in mind, the next question is who will watch it. According to DIRECTV, business travelers from Asia, tourists from Europe, and Latin American families all value native-language programming. Here is how that plays out across different guest types.
- Business travelers – Guests on work trips often need news from home to stay current on markets and meetings.
- Corporate groups – Multinational companies negotiate hotel contracts for conferences and staff travel, so international channels can strengthen a bid.
- Leisure travelers – Vacationers from overseas can relax with familiar shows in their own language.
- Families – Parents appreciate kids’ programming in their native language, which makes a long stay easier for everyone.
- Tour groups – Tour group companies may choose your hotel over another if you have channels in their clients’ language.
Frequently Asked Questions About DIRECTV International Channels for Hotels
While providing international TV channels does not directly increase bookings, they can help make overseas guests more comfortable, which can lead to better reviews and repeat stays. They can also strengthen a hotel’s bid for corporate contracts with multinational companies that send traveling staff and conference groups. No single amenity guarantees more reservations on its own, but to get the most from them, list your international channels on your website and online travel listings so guests can find them before they book.
DIRECTV prices international channel packages for hotels on a per-room, per-month basis, so the total cost depends on how many rooms receive the channels, which base hospitality package the property already has, and which international packages it adds, with exact pricing quoted through an authorized DIRECTV hospitality dealer. The monthly rates on DIRECTV’s international packages page apply to standard commercial accounts, such as restaurants and offices. For most hotels, starting with one or two packages that match your top guest markets keeps costs predictable.
No, a hotel cannot use a regular residential DIRECTV subscription or personal streaming logins for guest rooms, because DIRECTV requires hotels to use a commercial Hospitality and Institutions account that delivers programming on a free-to-guest basis and covers the licensing needed to show TV to guests. That commercial account is also how hotels add international packages, with pricing set per room.
In many cases, a hotel with an existing DIRECTV HOSPITALITY system can add international channels to its lineup without replacing its TVs, although the answer depends on how the property’s system delivers channels, since some setups need added headend capacity or HD-capable receivers before new channels reach every room. An authorized DIRECTV hospitality dealer can review your current system and confirm what, if anything, needs to change.
Bringing International Channels to Your Hotel
International travelers make up a large and growing group of U.S visitors. To help you serve them well, DIRECTV HOSPITALITY offers packages in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, Filipino, Italian, Japanese, Vietnamese, and Russian. With the right mix, your hotel TV lineup from DIRECTV can make a guest from overseas feel a little closer to home.
When you are ready to add international channels to your hotel lineup, Groove Technology Solutions can help. Named the 2025 DIRECTV FOR BUSINESS Hospitality and Institutions Dealer of the Year, our company designs, installs, and supports DIRECTV for hospitality systems for properties from 10 rooms to 10,000. Our team builds customizable channel lineups around your guests as well as provides 24/7 support once everything is up and running.
If you are curious which international packages fit your guest mix, we are happy to talk it through. Feel free to reach out to us whenever the timing works for you.
