Apple is reportedly interested in buying Manchester United for an estimated £5.8billion after the current owners decided to put the football club on the market.
Jeremy Cross for The Daily Star:
United owners the Glazers have decided to sell the club after caving in to the demands of those fans who have wanted them ousted.
The American billionaires will sell the club to the highest bidder – and bosses of Apple have expressed an interest in discussing a potential deal.
CEO Tim Cook is keen to explore the opportunities owning United could provide – and will line up talks with the banks appointed to oversee the sale, which include The Raine Group.
Part of Cook’s plan could include Apple funding the building of a new state-of-the-art stadium that would be regarded the best in the world.
The Glazers had initially set an asking price of £8.25billion, as exclusively revealed in Daily Star Sport, but have been told this is unrealistic in the current market.
MacDailyNews Take: If true, that’d be one way to finagle an Apple TV+ Premier League deal.
As you might have guessed, given the above source, Apple is not currently planning to purchase Premier League club Manchester United, MacRumors reports, citing “a source familiar with the matter.”
Cook should consider bidding for and winning NFL Sunday Ticket away from DirecTV, buying rights to Premier 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
In year five, let alone year ten, this MLS deal will be looked on as a tremendous value for Apple. Hopefully, there are more live sports deals for Apple to come! – MacDailyNews, June 17, 2022
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They should buy the Minneapolis Twins and the Mall of America and put in an Apple side-headquarters in the Midwest right here. Apple but with that nice Midwestern touch.
apple should buy the team and have them star in the future episodes of Ted Lasso
I fear as a fan, judging by the final shots of the last series that is going to be West Ham and their glorious decline into mediocrity.
(my previous comment was, you know, a joke)
I suspect it could complicate any rights to Premier League matches if they owned a club so yes seems unlikely. Mind you when you think of the success of the Wrexham documentary and exposure you can imagine why such a deal with an immeasurably bigger World renowned club might excite a media company with imagination.
Conflict of interest? Correct me if I’m wrong, but would owning a team and having the sole rights to air their games violate some sort of monopoly/anti-competition law?
That would be very interesting, but seems a bit odd a corporation would own it? Not sure how to feel about it, but I like Apple getting into sports.
I’m in total agreement with MDN and really would love to see Apple get Sunday Ticket NFL for next year. DirecTV and ATT have both been ABYSMAL. Nearly everything you can do poorly with that property they have each done. Even the website doesn’t work properly. At least now it doesn’t involve a satellite dish and you can stream it just fine, thankyouverymuch.
Still not loving the AppleTV interface, but as long as we can watch it on Roku, we’re good. Still wonder if the AppleTV dev crew is down in the basement at One Apple Park Way and chronically depressed?
If you’re all caught up on Ted Lasso, (as noted by spyinthesky above) you might want to check out Ryan Reynold’s documentary series about buying a Welsh Team.
https://www.imdb.com/title/tt14674086/
The Wanks buying the Mancs! Glorious.
I don’t know what Manchester United is, but I do know that Soccer sucks ass and Apple should have nothing to do with it. That’s called corporate sprawl. Although I can see why Tim Cock would be interested in having access to the locker room after each game.
He’s probably there because he’s trying to teach the team mascot how to use the iPhone while wearing furry gloves.
Seriously, cut it out. Tim Cook has been great for Apple during the decade he’s been in. He’s far more effective than Ballmer or Nadella were for M$. I wonder if Microsoft or Google payed you to post this drivel.
Soccer sucks!
It’s amusing watching Americans trying to deal with sarcasm and football at the same time.
Seriously though, after seeing the Glazers suck the club dry over the last decade+, I’d be very careful taking on United as an American investor. United fans cynicism/bar will be very high for you. Uk fans hated the Glazers with a passion.
Bad idea. Manchester United was a big soccer club but now in decline. I understand Apple want soccer on Apple TV+ but you don’t need a soccer team for that.
As an Apple share holder I Vote NO!