Mike Peterson
Apple, Amazon, and Disney are currently waiting to find out which of the three has secured the rights to broadcast the NFL Sunday Ticket package.
All three companies each submitted separate bids for the broadcast rights "weeks ago," CNBC has reported. The NFL is currently in talks with all three bidders, and has not yet chosen a streaming partner.
The companies are bidding on the rights to broadcast the out-of-market Sunday Ticket package, as well as on a stake in NFL Media. The package could also include NFL mobile rights, since the league's agreement with Verizon has ended.
Reportedly, the NFL wants the buyer to pay more than $2 billion for the rights.
Apple has reportedly been in the running for the Sunday Ticket package for months. However, the CNBC report Friday counters previous rumors that a deal between Apple and the NFL was already done.
Since Apple TV+ launched, the iPhone has also been interested in expanding its streaming offerings to include sports — an arena it entered with its Friday Night Baseball endeavor. Back in June, Apple also announced that its Apple TV app would also become the official home of Major League Soccer in 2023.
William Gallagher
Christine McKee
AppleInsider Staff
Chip Loder
Malcolm Owen
11 Comments
Apple's Friday Night Baseball is available in 9 countries. Will this distribution also apply to the NFL show if Apple wins it? It's worth noting that not all baseball teams are American, which may be why Apple's baseball stream went international, but the same can't be said about the NFL.
The media landscape is about to change, the same as the era of social media has grown beyond the big 3 television networks.
For $2.5B more you could purchase the Denver Broncos...