According to Puck News, Apple has pulled out of NFL Sunday Ticket package negotiations. It can be remembered that Apple was initially considered the frontrunner.
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CHICAGO, ILLINOIS – NOVEMBER 28: The Apple corporate logo hangs above an Apple retail store in Chicago, Illinois on November 28, 2022.
In fact, early this year, it looked like Apple was close to closing a deal with NFL. Talks continued, however, and it appeared that Apple had some hesitations due to contract limitations.
DirecTV is the owner of the NFL Sunday Ticket which gives subscribers access to all NFL American football out-of-market games on Sundays. However, the cable provider is no longer extending its deal.
For example, Sunday Ticket will have a new partner in 2023 and Apple, Google and Amazon have shown interest. The deal is expected to be worth between $2.5 billion and $3 billion each year.
Apple chased the deal for a while, but the tech giant seems to disagree on certain parts, resulting in reluctance to close the deal.
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The limitations
Some restrictions holding Apple back are the lack of international rights, geographic blackouts, and a minimum subscription price that will be enforced.
It should be noted that Apple announced in June that its TV app would exclusively stream live MLS matches starting next year without any local blackouts or restrictions. It gives fans access to everything from a major professional sports league in one place.
Apple was able to deliver due to the lack of contractual restrictions that they believe will allow their partnership with MLS to flourish. The company indicated that they want this kind of flexibility in the NFL as well.
Currently, Sunday Ticket offers all regional NFL Sunday afternoon games to off-market viewers.
It appears that the NFL is only open to accepting bids from companies that agree to the terms set.
Therefore, it is clear that the NFL sticks to its rules and regulations. Apple would be surprised by the NFL’s stance on the restrictions in the deal and cannot agree to the terms.
Apple has made some strategic moves in sports streaming. They have expanded their relationships with professional sports leagues and are partnering with the leagues to stream their content. If the NFL Sunday Ticket deal doesn’t work for Apple, the company still has plenty of streaming service options.
Going forward, more leagues are expected to be on board with the tech giant to boost the sports portion of the Apple TV app.
Related article: Apple TV in Talks with NFL Sunday Ticket for Streaming Deal; Amazon, Disney’s ESPN+
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