Apple TV+ recently concluded its second season as the exclusive broadcaster of MLS soccer. However, Apple has approached sports media rights cautiously. The tech giant was reportedly in talks for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup rights, but DAZN secured the deal for a reported $1 billion. Furthermore, speculation suggests that DAZN is also the frontrunner for the 2027 and 2031 Women’s World Cup rights, following reports of FIFA entering exclusive negotiations with a “non-traditional media company.” These developments highlight a cautious approach to the competitive landscape of sports media rights acquisition.
Apple’s previous unsuccessful attempts to acquire NFL Sunday Ticket, Pac-12 Conference, and NBA media rights raise questions about the company’s commitment to live sports compared to competitors like YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix. The upcoming FIFA Women’s World Cups, with a potential price tag of $130 million each and the possibility of being hosted in the U.S. in 2031, present an opportunity for Apple to demonstrate whether live sports are a serious strategic focus or merely an experimental venture.
Apple’s Track Record in Sports Media
Major League Baseball
In 2022, Apple entered the live sports broadcasting arena by securing a 10-year contract for two Friday Night Major League Baseball games, valued at approximately $85 million annually. While exceeding Roku’s three-year deal for Sunday afternoon games by over eight times, this figure is considerably lower than ESPN’s $550 million yearly expenditure for Sunday Night Baseball rights.
Major League Soccer
Apple secured a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Major League Soccer (MLS) to distribute the North American soccer league globally on Apple TV+. Although Apple typically keeps viewership data private, MLS Commissioner Don Garber recently shared that primetime Saturday MLS games attract over a million viewers. Unlike other major soccer leagues, MLS embraced a global rights model, granting Apple the comprehensive control it favors. Apple recently concluded its second season as the exclusive broadcaster of MLS soccer with the MLS Cup Final.
NFL Sunday Ticket
Apple was initially considered the leading contender to secure the NFL Sunday Ticket rights, previously held by DirecTV. However, Google’s YouTube secured the rights after negotiations with Apple collapsed in late 2022. Several factors contributed to Apple’s withdrawal, including limitations on distribution (U.S. only), restrictions on streaming in-market games aired on Fox and CBS, and a lack of pricing flexibility to make the package more accessible as a free add-on for Apple TV+ subscribers. Unlike its successful collaboration with Goldman Sachs on the Apple Card, Apple could not reshape the established NFL broadcast business model to meet its requirements.
Pac-12 Conference
Apple reportedly negotiated with the Pac-12 Conference to secure exclusive streaming rights for all sports. The proposed deal was valued at a minimum of $230 million annually, potentially reaching up to $500 million based on the number of new Apple TV+ subscribers it attracted. However, the deal fell through due to concerns from Pac-12 members about potential fan backlash over the transition from traditional broadcast and cable TV to a streaming platform.
National Basketball Association
Before the NBA awarded a streaming-only package to Amazon as part of its 11-year media rights deal announced earlier this year, Apple TV+ was among the interested parties at earlier stages of the negotiations. Unlike ESPN and NBC’s packages, Amazon’s package, valued at $1.8 billion per season, includes both U.S. and international distribution rights, similar to Apple TV+’s MLS package.
Apple vs. Its Competitors
Despite two ten-year deals with MLB and MLS respectively, Apple’s investment pales compared to YouTube, Amazon, and Netflix.
YouTube
After Apple’s withdrawal from negotiations for the NFL Sunday Ticket Package, the NFL considered proposals from Amazon Prime Video and YouTube. Industry experts predicted YouTube’s success, as Amazon already held Thursday Night Football rights, and the NFL was interested in partnering with another global tech leader in the streaming video space. Ultimately, YouTube secured the NFL Sunday Ticket rights through the 2029 season, offering subscriptions via YouTube Primetime Channels or YouTube TV. This partnership marked a significant expansion into premium live sports for YouTube, leveraging its vast user base of over 2 billion monthly active users and over 8 million YouTube TV subscribers.
Amazon Prime Video
Amazon Prime Video has made the largest investment in live sports among streaming media companies. The platform currently offers a diverse range of sports content, including NFL’s Thursday Night Football, WNBA basketball, select New York Yankees games, NHL’s Monday Night Hockey in Canada, and UK rights to Premier League and UEFA Champions League soccer and ATP World Tour tennis. In addition to the NBA, Amazon has also acquired the rights to NASCAR beginning in 2025. With its expanding portfolio of sports rights and focus on high-quality delivery, Amazon Prime Video is becoming a major player in the sports broadcasting landscape, offering a compelling challenger to traditional sports networks like ESPN and providing a reliable streaming partnership for rights holders.
Netflix
Netflix has secured a three-year deal to broadcast NFL games on Christmas Day, expanding the NFL’s reach to a global audience. This agreement, in which Netflix reportedly pays $75 million for each game, follows similar deals like Amazon’s Thursday Night Football and NBA rights. While Apple explored NFL Sunday Ticket rights, its involvement in the Christmas Day negotiations remains unclear. Although the Netflix deal has limited inventory, it positions the company for potential future NFL packages, including a possible international series package. Securing the Christmas Day games could have strengthened Apple’s prospects for future NFL rights considerations.
The Take: Apple Should Not Defer Women’s World Cup to DAZN
Apple’s cautious approach to acquiring sports media rights, coupled with its shift towards lower-budget film production, may impact its perceived commitment to premium content acquisition. Despite having the financial resources to be a major player in the sports rights market, Apple’s reluctance to aggressively pursue these rights could signal a lack of serious interest to rights holders. Similarly, the company’s decision to scale back its investment in theatrical films and focus on lower-budget productions has strained relationships with some Hollywood creatives, potentially hindering its ability to secure top film projects. This strategic shift, while fiscally prudent, may be inadvertently undermining Apple’s competitive edge in the entertainment industry.
Apple’s tentative approach to sports media rights could result in missed opportunities, especially considering the long duration of agreements like the NBA’s 11-year deal. While a potential Pac-12 agreement is possible, U.S. college sports, including football, lack strong international appeal. Although Apple could play a role in addressing the decline of regional sports networks in the U.S., Amazon has already established relationships with the rights holders while Disney’s ESPN+ is a possible candidate for a new local rights package from MLB.
Sports rights packages are typically divided into domestic and international rights, with additional complexity in the U.S. due to the distinction between local and national rights for various professional sports leagues. Apple’s preference for acquiring global rights may present a hurdle in expanding its live sports offerings.
DAZN’s bid for the FIFA Club World Cup rights, valued at $1 billion, is comparable to the annual cost of Amazon’s Thursday Night Football package. Given the lack of historical data for this new event, it is understandable that Apple and other traditional broadcasters are hesitant to commit to such a high price.
The FIFA Women’s World Cup, with upcoming events in Brazil in 2027 and a to-be-determined location in 2031, presents a valuable opportunity for Apple to showcase its dedication to globally popular live sports. In the U.S., the Women’s World Cup often garners higher TV ratings than the Men’s due to the historical success of the U.S. Women’s National Team. Additionally, the asking price for broadcasting rights is significantly lower than that of the FIFA Club World Cup, with a reported $130 million per event, roughly half of Apple’s annual cost for MLS rights. This investment is likely to attract a larger viewership than the one million figure reported for MLS, making it a potentially more impactful investment for Apple.
Apple TV+’s hit show, Ted Lasso, has been a major success. Reports suggest a potential fourth season is in the works, possibly focusing on the AFC Richmond Women’s Team, a concept introduced in the Season 3 finale. Jason Sudeikis, the show’s co-creator, star, and dedicated women’s sports supporter, could potentially participate in Apple TV+’s 2027 FIFA Women’s World Cup coverage.
With the success of Ted Lasso and the MLS partnership, Apple has already proven its ability to deliver high-quality soccer content to a global audience. Securing the Women’s World Cup rights would allow Apple to build on this momentum, tapping into an event that promises to exceed MLS viewership and reinforce Apple TV+ as a destination for premier sports content.
Apple has long championed creativity, innovation, and inclusivity—values that resonate deeply with the growing popularity of women’s sports. Acquiring the Women’s World Cup rights would not only align with these principles but also serve as a powerful statement about the company’s commitment to empowering diverse voices in sports and media. This is an investment not just in viewership but in brand equity.
The Women’s World Cup is more than a sports event – it’s a cultural phenomenon. With significantly lower rights fees than other global tournaments and consistently high U.S. viewership, this investment would provide Apple with an efficient pathway to elevate its sports portfolio. A bold bid here would demonstrate Apple’s willingness to embrace high-impact sports opportunities, distinguishing itself from competitors like Amazon and Netflix.
Andrew Wamugi, a subscriber of Apple TV+ MLS Season Pass and a professional in the sports, media, and technology sectors, witnessed the United States women’s soccer team clinch the Gold Medal against Brazil at the 2024 Paris Olympics. You can read more of his sports, media, technology and business content in his “FetchThe Deal” newsletter.
Earlier in his sports business career, Andrew played a significant role in shaping the content strategy PlayStation 4 and Meta’s Spark AR platform during their early formative stages. This included strategic partnerships formed with streaming giants like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and YouTube, in addition to sports leagues such as the NBA, MLB, NHL, and DirecTV NFL Sunday Ticket.
