Apple has reportedly pulled out of negotiations for the NFL Sunday Ticket package, after originally being considered the frontrunner, according to Dylan Byers at Puck News.
Earlier in the year, it seemed like Apple was nearing a deal with multiple reports of top Apple execs Eddy Cue sweet-talking NFL heads at meetings, having already struck sports streaming deals with Major League Baseball and Major League Soccer. But as talks dragged on with the NFL, Apple appeared to balk back at some of the contract’s limitations.
Cable provider DirecTV is the current owner of the NFL Sunday Ticket, which gives subscribers access to all NFL American football out-of-market games on Sundays. However, DirecTV is not renewing its deal.
This means Sunday Ticket will have a new partner beginning in 2023. Apple, Amazon, Google (YouTube) and others have supposedly shown interest. A deal is expected to be worth between $2.5 billion – $3 billion annually.
While Apple chased a deal for much of the summer, Byers says that ultimately “Apple don’t see the logic” in closing a deal at that level.
Reported restrictions on the deal include lack of international rights, geographic blackouts, and an enforced minimum subscription price such that the NFL doesn’t cannabilize its existing broadcast deals with CBS and Fox.
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