Apple wants major NFL streaming deal beyond 'Sunday Ticket'

AppleInsiderAppleInsider
Posted:
in iPod + iTunes + AppleTV edited March 2022
Apple is rumored to want a big deal with the NFL said to include online livestreaming rights, the NFL Sunday Ticket package, and an equity stake in NFL Media to boost the Apple TV+ catalog.




The NFL is in the process of fielding offers for a number of key assets of interest to broadcasters and streaming services. In a Friday report, it is thought that Apple is one of the firms in the running to acquire them, but wants to do so in a single joint deal.

According to sources of Front Office Sports, the NFL is offering three assets, consisting of an equity stake in NFL Media, as well as the NFL Sunday Ticket package geared towards out-of-market games, and rights for livestreaming games through smartphones and tablets.

Rather than attempting to secure just one or two, Apple is claimed by report sources to be interested in an all-encompassing deal. "Apple is thinking very big. They want to roll them all up into one big NFL package," said the source.

While the overall value of the potential deal is unreported, the NFL Sunday Ticket alone would in theory fetch between $2 billion and $2.5 billion per year for the league.

Apple's potential deal with the NFL first surfaced in July 2021, with the NFL searching for a new streaming partner due to the expiry of the DirecTV Sunday Ticket deal after 2022. In September, it seemed the NFL had a preference for Apple to take over the out-of-market package.

Though Apple doesn't really have a pedigree in sports media, it does have a major streaming service in the form of Apple TV+ that it could considerably expand using sport. In theory, Apple could offer a second sport-based package alongside its existing Apple TV+ content package.

In January, reports indicated that Apple was in "serious talks" to carry Major League Baseball games on Apple TV+.

In February, Apple secured a ten-part documentary called "The Dynasty," a series exploring the last two decades of the New England Patriots' fortunes in the NFL. Destined for Apple TV+, the show will use hundreds of interviews with current and former Patriot players, coaches, and executives, as well as unbroadcast footage from archives, with the show produced by Imagine Documentaries and NFL Films.

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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 10
    neverindoubtneverindoubt Posts: 120member
    The only “major” NFL rights deal left to negotiate (through 2033) is Sunday Ticket, there’s nothing major beyond it.

    Streaming on phones/tablets is a “minor” deal, at best.
  • Reply 2 of 10
    danoxdanox Posts: 2,931member
    Spend the money on improving the support materials/environment for design computers games at a high level…
  • Reply 3 of 10
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    The NFL in VR?
    If Apple can lock this down, that goes from being a possibility to being a probability. 
    plastico23
  • Reply 4 of 10
    bulk001bulk001 Posts: 767member
    Japhey said:
    The NFL in VR?
    If Apple can lock this down, that goes from being a possibility to being a probability. 
    Under Cook, Apple has been great at the evolution of products but less so at launching new product categories, with some small exceptions. Still mini HomePods and watches are not the new iPhone or iPad which wowed the world at their release and fundamentally changed things. Siri is still average at best after all these years and Maps seems to have finally reached parity with Google in the past year or so and in some ways may actually be better now. If this track record is anything to go by, if released this year, it is another 5-7 years before a VR headset will match what the competition is offering in 2027-2029 let alone beat it.  
  • Reply 5 of 10
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    bulk001 said:
    Japhey said:
    The NFL in VR?
    If Apple can lock this down, that goes from being a possibility to being a probability. 
    Under Cook, Apple has been great at the evolution of products but less so at launching new product categories, with some small exceptions. Still mini HomePods and watches are not the new iPhone or iPad which wowed the world at their release and fundamentally changed things. Siri is still average at best after all these years and Maps seems to have finally reached parity with Google in the past year or so and in some ways may actually be better now. If this track record is anything to go by, if released this year, it is another 5-7 years before a VR headset will match what the competition is offering in 2027-2029 let alone beat it.  
    So what are you saying? That if Apple releases a VR device and somehow lands an NFL contract, that they WON’T figure out a way to combine the two?* What other companies currently pursuing the NFL can bring VR to the table?

    I’m not really sure what your point is, but I do know that if Apple was just going to release something that was years behind the competition and then play catch-up in the market, then they would have already done it years ago. The fact that they are taking so long to do it tells me, and many others, that when they do finally release the device, it will far surpass everything else in the consumer market. Look at the rumored specs…who else is doing that right now?

    Again, I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. 

    edited March 2022 lolliverplastico23mike1jony0
  • Reply 6 of 10
    bulk001bulk001 Posts: 767member
    Japhey said:
    bulk001 said:
    Japhey said:
    The NFL in VR?
    If Apple can lock this down, that goes from being a possibility to being a probability. 
    Under Cook, Apple has been great at the evolution of products but less so at launching new product categories, with some small exceptions. Still mini HomePods and watches are not the new iPhone or iPad which wowed the world at their release and fundamentally changed things. Siri is still average at best after all these years and Maps seems to have finally reached parity with Google in the past year or so and in some ways may actually be better now. If this track record is anything to go by, if released this year, it is another 5-7 years before a VR headset will match what the competition is offering in 2027-2029 let alone beat it.  
    So what are you saying? That if Apple releases a VR device and somehow lands an NFL contract, that they WON’T figure out a way to combine the two?* What other companies currently pursuing the NFL can bring VR to the table?

    I’m not really sure what your point is, but I do know that if Apple was just going to release something that was years being the competition and then play catch-up in the market, then they would have already done it years ago. The fact that they are taking so long to do it tells me, and many others, that when they do finally release the device, it will far surpass everything else in the consumer market. Look at the rumored specs…who else is doing that right now?

    Again, I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. 

    I’ll type it slowly so you can follow along. You said NFL / VR integration will only go from a probability to a possibility under Apple. I said in response to your comment, if Apple gets the NFL contract there won’t be an integration with VR that is equal or better than what others are doing for at least 5-7 years from the first release of the VR based on their track record under Cook. That is probably the best I can do. If you don’t understand it, don’t worry, it me not you! 
  • Reply 7 of 10
    JapheyJaphey Posts: 1,767member
    bulk001 said:
    Japhey said:
    bulk001 said:
    Japhey said:
    The NFL in VR?
    If Apple can lock this down, that goes from being a possibility to being a probability. 
    Under Cook, Apple has been great at the evolution of products but less so at launching new product categories, with some small exceptions. Still mini HomePods and watches are not the new iPhone or iPad which wowed the world at their release and fundamentally changed things. Siri is still average at best after all these years and Maps seems to have finally reached parity with Google in the past year or so and in some ways may actually be better now. If this track record is anything to go by, if released this year, it is another 5-7 years before a VR headset will match what the competition is offering in 2027-2029 let alone beat it.  
    So what are you saying? That if Apple releases a VR device and somehow lands an NFL contract, that they WON’T figure out a way to combine the two?* What other companies currently pursuing the NFL can bring VR to the table?

    I’m not really sure what your point is, but I do know that if Apple was just going to release something that was years being the competition and then play catch-up in the market, then they would have already done it years ago. The fact that they are taking so long to do it tells me, and many others, that when they do finally release the device, it will far surpass everything else in the consumer market. Look at the rumored specs…who else is doing that right now?

    Again, I’m not sure what point you’re trying to make. 

    I’ll type it slowly so you can follow along. You said NFL / VR integration will only go from a probability to a possibility under Apple. I said in response to your comment, if Apple gets the NFL contract there won’t be an integration with VR that is equal or better than what others are doing for at least 5-7 years from the first release of the VR based on their track record under Cook. That is probably the best I can do. If you don’t understand it, don’t worry, it me not you! 
    And I disagreed with your assumption that Apple will be 5-7 years behind. I gave 2 reasons why I disagree with your pessimistic outlook, and provided a link for how they will probably do it. I understood what you said, but not why you said it. Whether I’m right that they will be ahead of the competition, or you are that they will be behind is immaterial to the point of my original post. Thank you for typing slowly though, it really made your point more relevant. Though perhaps next time try reading slowly instead. 
    edited March 2022 muthuk_vanalingamlolliverjony0
  • Reply 8 of 10
    blastdoorblastdoor Posts: 3,336member
    If it were possible for me to watch every NFL game I want to watch without a cable subscription, that would be the end of my cable subscription. 
    llama
  • Reply 9 of 10
    mike1mike1 Posts: 3,293member
    neverindoubt said:
    The only “major” NFL rights deal left to negotiate (through 2033) is Sunday Ticket, there’s nothing major beyond it.

    Streaming on phones/tablets is a “minor” deal, at best.
    Historically, there is nothing "major" about Sunday Ticket. Since it was only available through Direct TV, it was largely irrelevant for the vast majority of viewers.
    I'd bet more people watch Red Zone every week than a season's worth of Sunday Ticket.
    llama
  • Reply 10 of 10
    neverindoubtneverindoubt Posts: 120member
    mike1 said:
    neverindoubt said:
    The only “major” NFL rights deal left to negotiate (through 2033) is Sunday Ticket, there’s nothing major beyond it.

    Streaming on phones/tablets is a “minor” deal, at best.
    Historically, there is nothing "major" about Sunday Ticket. Since it was only available through Direct TV, it was largely irrelevant for the vast majority of viewers.
    I'd bet more people watch Red Zone every week than a season's worth of Sunday Ticket.
    The money makes it a "major" deal. Sunday Ticket cost Direct TV $1.5b a year in the *current* contract. That's more than CBS, Fox or NBC pay (~$1b/yr each), and on the order of what Disney/ESPN pays.
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