Apple’s MLB deal may just be the beginning for the tech giant, especially with a big National Football League (NFL) rights package up for grabs, but the Mac maker faces stiff competition from legacy media companies and fellow tech giants alike while more games head to streaming outlets.
Last week, Apple announced it landed rights from Major League Baseball to stream games on Friday nights. The company plans to stream live pregame and postgame shows. Games will be free from local broadcast restrictions and won’t require an Apple TV+ subscription, for now.
Longtime media rights advisor Lee Berke called MLB’s deal with Apple the “right amount of games, at the right time.”
It’s unclear what the NFLs plans are for Sunday Ticket. The DirectTV deal expires in 2023, so a deal isn’t likely to happen soon and could come during the 2022 season.
Berke suggested the NFL could divide Sunday Ticket among outlets… In this potential split, DirecTV, now owned by private equity firm TPG, could keep satellite rights for its consumer base, especially in rural areas where streaming is still problematic. DirectTV would also keep out-of-home screens in commercial properties such as airports, bars and restaurants to protect its “substantial commercial establishment business,” said Berke.
In this scenario, Apple would snag Sunday Ticket streaming rights. That package could also include the league’s mobile rights, which Verizon abandoned in its renewal last year. CNBC reported in October there were rumblings in league circles that the NFL wanted to lure Apple to buy the rights.
In a March 9 note to clients, investment firm Evercore called Apple’s MLB package a “fine first step,” but added baseball games are “unlikely to truly move the needle” for the company’s streaming service. “Sunday Ticket would be a different story as it is the only place to watch out of market games of America’s most popular sport,” the note said.
MacDailyNews Take: MLB and NFL should, hopefully, only be the start of bringing exclusive live sports to Apple TV+.
Cook should consider bidding for and winning NFL Sunday Ticket away from Direct TV, buying rights to Premiere League and La Liga games, etc. and making them Apple TV exclusives. Go directly to the sports leagues with boatloads of cash. — MacDailyNews, May 6, 2014
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So if the NFL ticket gets sold to Apple, does that mean we will see the Microsoft Surface tablets and Bose headphones on the sidelines get replaced by iPads & Beats?