Apple Set To Bid On Premier League

AppleTV is preparing a bid for the domestic television rights for the Premier League.

According to the Daily Mail, the tech giant hopes to secure the U.K. media rights to the world's top soccer league.

Premier League's current deals with Sky Sports, BBC Sport, BT Sport, and Amazon aren't set to expire until 2025, though renegotiations begin later this year.

"A serious bid from Apple is the biggest threat to Sky Sports’ dominance of Premier League coverage since they gained exclusive rights to the competition in 1992, as they have the financial clout to challenge them," reports the Daily Mail.

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Apple, a soccer fan

Apple's foray into sports has been slow but notable. The brand has made soccer a key component of its portfolio.

Last June, AppleTV secured a 10-year, $2.5 billion contract for exclusive rights to stream Major League Soccer.

Perhaps unrelated, the streaming service is best known as the home of "Ted Lasso," a series set based on a goofy, fictitious soccer coach.

Elsewhere, Apple began streaming MLB games on Fridays last season -- including prominent matchups featuring the New York Yankees.

On a less positive note, industry experts had long viewed Apple as the favorite to land the NFL Sunday Ticket package after it expired with DirectTV in 2022. That, however, did not come to fruition.

Rather, the NFL announced YouTube secured the rights to stream the package starting next season.

As for the Premier League, Apple will have to again outbid several competitors to win the rights. But with a market capitalization of $2.2 trillion, that shouldn't be a problem.

"Many clubs with American owners, such as Chelsea under Todd Boehly, are convinced that at $6.3. billion over three years the current rights are undervalued and are looking to US tech companies to drive up the price," concludes the Daily Mail.