APPLE are ready to make a move for Premier League TV rights when bidding for the next packages begin, according to reports.
Their interest could provide a huge threat to Sky Sports’ and BT Sport’s Prem deals.
Apple TV have already dipped their toe into the football market.
They produced a four-part original documentary about the Super League, which released earlier this year.
While they have also begun a ten-year contract to broadcast MLS globally worth a staggering £200million-a-season.
The current rights packages owned by Sky Sports, BT Sport and Amazon Prime Video will expire at the end of the 2024-25 season.
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SunSports understands the bidding process will begin towards the end of this year.
And the new rights will take effect during the start of the 2025-26 Premier League season.
Sky Sports show around 140 Prem matches per season, with BT Sport owning rights to 50 and Amazon Prime Video broadcasting two complete game weeks, including the Boxing Day fixtures.
American owners of Premier League clubs, including Chelsea’s Todd Boehly, believe that the £5.1bn over three years earned for global TV rights is less than market value.
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Last year Boehly admitted that he hopes the Prem can “learn from US sports” when it comes to earning more revenue – even introducing the idea of an All-Star game, like those seen across the pond.
He said: “Ultimately I hope the Premier League takes a little bit of a lesson from American sports.
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“And really starts to figure out, why don’t we do a tournament with the bottom four sports teams, why isn’t there an All-Star game?
“People are talking about more money for the pyramid; in the MLB All-Star game this year we made $200m (£160m) from a Monday and a Tuesday.
“So we’re thinking we could do a North versus South All-Star game for the Premier League, for whatever the pyramid needed quite easily.”
Sky Sports have owned the bulk of Prem TV rights since the league’s launch in 1992 – but now find their dominance under severe threat.
They have revolutionised coverage in the UK, becoming a huge part of households around the country.
BT Sport, meanwhile, will be renamed TNT Sports following a merger with Warner Bros Discovery [WBD].
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Managing director of WBD Sports Europe, Andrew Georgiou, said: “On the next rights auction this is a premium service and our intention is to remain a premium service.
“Our approach to any rights auction is to make sure we maintain that position in the market.”
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
