Apple considering offering to stream UK Premiere League games
All football brought to you by Apple.
Apple TV+ could soon be 90 percent soccer. According to a Bloomberg report, Apple is “considering” an offer for the streaming rights to UK rights to Premier League and lower division games played by the English Football League.
Apple TV+ and Premier League spokespeople didn’t immediately respond to our inquiries about the potential offer.
Amazon Prime Video currently owns the UK Premier League streaming rights through the 2024-25 season; Comcast-owned Sky also has (various) games there, as does BT Sport. The Premier League sold their domestic (domestic over there) rights for 2022-2025 for $6.3 billion.
NBCUniversal’s Peacock currently has the US Premier League streaming rights through 2028, so don’t worry for now. The company, also owned by Comcast, reportedly paid $2.7 billion for the privilege. An NBCU spokesman did not immediately respond to our request to confirm the price tag.
A spokesman for Sports on Prime Video did not immediately respond to IndieWire’s request to comment on the future of its UK Premier League streaming rights.
Anyway, Amazon will have the UK rights to the Champions League – another football league – from 2024. Amazon also exclusively streams the NFL’s Thursday Night Football games, New York Yankees games in New York, and has rights to a number of other international games, including for the NBA in Brazil. In many ways, it was an absolute hop to the ball streaming sports rights between Amazon and Apple.
Not only does Apple TV+ already have the soccer comedy Ted Lasso, Apple also streams every Major League Soccer (MLS) game through its MLS Season Pass. The service can be accessed either as an add-on for TV+ or as a standalone platform. “Lasso” and the Premier League already have synergies: With the start of Season 3, AFC Richmond is back in the Premier League after its promotion.
Ted Lasso on Apple TV+
Courtesy of Colin Hutton / Apple TV+
MLS Season Pass costs Apple TV+ subscribers an additional $12.99 per month, nearly double the price of TV+ itself ($6.99). Alternatively, current subscribers can pay $79 for the entire MLS season. For those who don’t want Ted Lasso, Severance, and Acapulco, the MLS Season Pass is $14.99/month, or $99 for the season. Also, you’re missing out on great shows.
The 2023 season kicks off a 10-year, $2.5 billion partnership between Major League Soccer and the tech giant, with all 29 clubs wearing the Apple TV logo sleeve patch in different colors on their club jerseys; Season Pass holders of any MLS club receive the MLS Season Pass subscription for free.
Apple TV+ really leans towards live sports. Last year Apple streamed Friday Night Baseball games for free (although Letitia James still wasn’t happy about it) – this year only paying Apple TV+ members can watch those games. That’s two live games (with no local lockdown restrictions) every Friday for the 25-week baseball season. Unlike the MLS Season Pass, Friday Night Baseball is not available a la carte.
Apple’s Friday Night Baseball will now be available in 60 countries around the world, up from 12 last year. Other shows behind the paywall include MLB Big Inning (or baseball’s answer to NFL RedZone), pre- and post-game shows, MLB Daily Recap and MLB This Week, condensed game recaps, highlights and job interviews.
Registration: Stay up to date on the latest movie and TV news! Sign up for our email newsletter here.
https://www.indiewire.com/2023/03/apple-tv-premiere-league-bid-mls-ted-lasso-1234822172/ Apple considering offering to stream UK Premiere League games
