New “Tech, TV and Travel” survey shows that a great in-room TV experience doesn’t just entertain – it influences guest spending and loyalty.
In March 2026, DIRECTV HOSPITALITY® commissioned a new research study – “Tech, TV and Travel” – conducted by HUB Entertainment Research, surveying 2,000 U.S.-based travelers 21+ who spend at least five nights a year in hotels. The results highlighted trends in in-room entertainment expectations, content preferences, technology attitudes, and booking behaviors of today’s hotel guests.
This new research tracks year-over-year shifts in guest sentiment and behavior, offering hospitality owners, operators and industry observers a current, data-grounded picture of what helps drive guest satisfaction, loyalty, and spending in the modern hotel environment.
The findings below represent key statistics from the study, organized by theme.
In-Room Entertainment Remains a Core Guest Expectation
Despite the proliferation of personal devices and streaming platforms, television remains one of the most consistently used amenities in the hotel room.
- 93% of guests expect a TV to be available in their hotel room
- 61% of guests use the in-room TV every time they’re in the room
In-Room Entertainment Influences Guest Decisions That Affect Hotel Revenue
The study finds a growing connection between the quality of a hotel’s in-room entertainment experience and key guest behaviors that can affect revenue, including guest choice, recommendations, return visits and willingness to pay. 47% of guests say in-room TV and content influences their decision to return to a property
- 42% say it influences whether they recommend the hotel to others
- 39% say it influences their choice of one hotel over a comparable competitor
- 38% say it influences how much they are willing to pay per night
In-room entertainment quality increasingly influences guest decisions: the percentage of guests who say in-room TV and content has a “high influence” on their hotel choices rose across all four metrics measured from 2025 to 2026.
Guests Know What They Want When It Comes To In-Room Entertainment
Guests have clear priorities when it comes to what they want access to in their in-room entertainment experience.
- 34% want access to paid streaming services
- 32% want a large, high-quality TV screen in the room
- 25% want live national networks
- 21% want live sports networks
- 23% want premium network access
Age Shapes Entertainment Expectations
One of the study’s actionable findings is the degree to which guest age determines entertainment priorities, with meaningful implications for hotels serving a broad demographic mix.
- Guests under 50 prioritize streaming access
- Guests under 50 are more than 3x as likely to rank casting content from a personal device to the hotel TV among their top priorities compared to guests 50 and older (13% vs. 4%)
- Guests 50 and older prioritize live TV, local stations, news, and sports
AI Is Reshaping How Travelers Discover and Choose Hotels
The study finds that AI-powered trip planning tools are becoming a primary discovery channel for a growing segment of travelers, with significant implications for how hotels manage their digital presence and amenity data.
- 34% of travelers use AI tools to plan trips
- AI planning tools are now used more frequently than review sites, social media influencers, and traditional travel agents among the travelers surveyed
- 43% of travelers under 50 use AI for trip planning
About DIRECTV HOSPITALITY®
DIRECTV HOSPITALITY® provides hotels, resorts, and extended stay properties across the United States access to in-room entertainment experiences that help meet the full spectrum of guest entertainment expectations — live, linear programming, access to select streaming apps via the Advanced Entertainment Platform, casting capability, premium content, and sports — through scalable entertainment platforms. Visit directv.com/hotels for more information.
For press inquiries, additional data, or interview requests, contact Amy Jane Finnerty, Director, Communications at amy.jane.finnerty@directv.com or 631.897.2464.
For more information on DIRECTV HOSPITALITY’s product offerings, visit directv.com/hotels.
Source: HUB Entertainment Research Source: HUB Entertainment “Tech, TV and Travel” Survey conducted March 2026 with 2,000 U.S. consumers 21+ who stayed five or more nights in hotels within the past 12 months.
