Rumors circulated in July that Apple was chasing streaming rights for the National Football League's "Sunday Ticket" package, and a story this week suggests that the deal may have already been completed.
In a rumor that has been making the rounds today, Matthew Belloni of Puck News dubbed NFL Sunday Ticket as "Apple's to lose." In fact, he claims that the purchase is "really done," according to one of his sources, and that it is being kept hidden at Apple's request.
At this point, my sources indicate it's all Apple's fault. (One source told me this weekend that the sale is actually done and being kept quiet at Apple's request, which I haven't checked and don't know for sure; Apple hasn't commented.) That would seem to make sense: Even after winning many Emmys and the Academy Award for Best Picture, Apple CEO Tim Cook has stated that the company is still in the early stages of premium media, and nothing is more premium than NFL football. Furthermore, it would explain Apple's recent entrance into live events and advertising through MLB games.
Given that the information originates from unnamed sources and has yet to be validated, it should be regarded with caution at this time. Last year, Apple held conversations with NFL officials, but there was competition from other TV networks and digital businesses such as Amazon.
Sunday Ticket airs on DirecTV, but the NFL's DirecTV arrangement expires after the 2022 season, thus rights are up for grabs. DirecTV paid around $1.5 billion for the games, but whomever wins the rights for the 2023 season is expected to spend over $2.5 billion.
Out-of-market fans will be able to watch non-prime time games from all 32 NFL clubs on Apple TV+ if Apple wins the bid for Sunday Ticket. Sunday Ticket would be added to Friday Night Baseball, which Apple now airs every Friday as part of an agreement with Major League Baseball.
