What you need to know
- Apple TV+ is reportedly in early talks with the NFL about picking up the rights to stream live games.
- DirecTV currently has the rights to show Sunday Ticket games and is thought to pay around $1.5 billion.
Apple TV+ is reportedly in "early talks" with the NFL about potentially picking up the rights to show Sunday Ticket games on the streaming service.
According to a report by The Information, Apple TV+ is keen to get the deal over the line but there are still hurdles to cross. One of those hurdles will be the large fee involved — DirecTV is thought to have spent $1.5 billion on the rights it currently owns and the NFL is likely to want more next time around.
Still, there are signs Apple's attitude to programming investment may be changing. Last year, Apple hired James DeLorenzo to run its sports division for Apple TV+. DeLorenzo came from Amazon, where as head of sports for Amazon Video, he negotiated Amazon's initial deal with the NFL to stream live games. The move suggests Apple is taking a closer look at bringing live sports into its still-fledgling streaming business.
The reasons for Apple TV+ to want to get into streaming live sports are fairly obvious. While it already has some impressive TV shows, movies, and documentaries, the move into live sport would open the streaming service to a whole new collection of potential customers. That's an area of growth that might not be possible via more content similar to what's already available.
Both Disney and Amazon are thought to be keen to beat Apple to the punch, however.
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