Apple and the NFL are still working on a deal for the NFL Sunday Ticket package and talks are expected to drag into 2023, as they have reached a “very critical point,” says a new report from Sportico (via The Verge).
“Our decisions are not based on timelines,” said NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said following the Dec. 14 league meeting in Irving, Texas. “They’re based on getting the best outcome with the best party.”
Sportico says that Apple’s pricing plan for Sunday Ticket is a sticking point. While Apple wants to include Sunday Ticket access in the $6.99 cost of an Apple TV+ subscription, with no additional charges, the NFL is pushing back on that low price point as the league says it needs to “protect the interests” of CBS and Fox, its Sunday afternoon broadcast partners. The two networks will pay the NFL a combined $40 billion for the 2023 season.
There are still others interested in snagging the Sunday Ticket deals, as Disney and Amazon both are said to still be in the running. However, rumors have circulated for months that Apple will be the “likely winner” of the NFL Sunday Ticket package. However, in October CNBC today reported that “existing restrictions around Sunday Ticket have slowed negotiations between Apple and the NFL in recent months.”
Apple was reportedly pushing for more flexibility with the NFL package, such as the freedom to offer games globally. Currently, NFL Sunday Ticket streams all regional NFL games on Sunday afternoons to out-of-market viewers in the U.S. only. However, the NFL was reportedly not willing to concede on these points.
Apple is looking to expand its sports offerings on its Apple TV+ streaming service. Apple currently holds the rights to MLB Friday Night Baseball and Major League Soccer packages.