Apple reportedly interested in Premier League rights

According to a report, Apple wants to get big into the international sports rights business and is said to be one of the possible bidders for the British soccer league Premier League. The group is currently preparing a bid to broadcast games on its Apple TV+ platform, writes the British tabloid Daily Mail. It’s unclear what the report is about. A “bidding war” – a bidding war in which those interested in buying each other’s offers – is to be expected.

Model USA: baseball and more

Apple’s streaming service initially started broadcasting (also) sports in the United States. Since last year, there has been live sports, including later recordings, from the top baseball league in the USA, the MLB. Games from the top US soccer league, Major League Soccer (MLS), will soon be added, although soccer is less important in the USA than in many other countries. However, attempts to buy NFL football rights for TV+ have failed.

The sports broadcasts have so far been part of the regular streaming service, which costs 7 euros a month (after the price increase; previously 5 euros). Apple also uses them to lure customers to TV+. Whether it is later planned to offer certain games as a pay-per-view event or in the form of special sports packages has not yet leaked out. In some cases, Apple Sport even broadcasts completely free of charge, albeit for a limited time.

British football at Apple from 2025?

According to Daily News, the current Premier League deal runs until 2025. The league is currently being broadcast by providers such as Sky Sports and BT Sport. The bidding process for the coming years will start in 2023. Apple should try not only to get local rights, but also to broadcast the league worldwide if possible.

Given the importance of the Premier League, that could get complicated and, more importantly, expensive. “A serious offer from Apple is the biggest threat to Sky Sports’ dominance in Premier League broadcasting since 1992,” the tabloid writes. The provider – or its predecessors – had raised enough money to secure the exclusive rights. Apple has “deep pockets” enough to threaten that dominance.

(bsc)