Attention Sports Fans | MLB Might Be Coming to Apple TV+ Next Season

There’s solid evidence that Apple has been working on the idea of bringing live sports to Apple TV+ for years, with rumours of talks circulating years before the video streaming service launched, but it’s also apparent that Apple has faced some challenges in working out deals with the major franchises.

So far, most of Apple’s efforts seem to have centred around the NFL and live collegiate sports, but now it looks like the company may be going in a new direction: Major League Baseball.

According to The New York Post, Apple has been in “substantial talks” about carrying MLB games, working on a deal that could come to fruition as soon as next season.

While the terms of what Apple and MLB are working on aren’t entirely clear, it sounds like they may be starting with something smaller, giving Apple an opportunity to dip its toes in the waters of live sports streaming.

The package most likely being discussed between the two is one for weekday national games. This was recently relinquished by ESPN, and MLB has been shopping it around, looking to find it a new home.

One of the biggest issues with this particular package is that it’s not exclusive to local markets, meaning that regional sports networks can also broadcast the live games. This is probably why ESPN lost interest in airing these regular Monday and Wednesday games, but it’s also unclear if Apple and MLB might be able to work out an exclusive deal.

Due to its size and status, MLB could have commanded a premium from ESPN for that kind of exclusivity, but Apple’s relative novice status in live sports streaming could allow it to negotiate a better deal.

The Post reports that MLB has canvassed several other potential suitors, including Barstool Sports, Amazon, and most of the other major players, but hasn’t yet found a suitable deal. Sources say Apple “could be the one.”

Apple has had a fairly cozy relationship with MLB over the years, with MLB At Bat being one of the debut sports apps when Apple first unveiled the App Store in 2008, so there’s likely already some past synergy there that both companies could leverage to promote the games and the partnership between the two organizations.

Apple would presumably broadcast the MLB games as part of its Apple TV+ subscription, although it’s far too early to say whether this would be bundled in the current package or if Apple might decide to sell it under a separate live sports subscription tier.

What About the NFL?

It’s probably not surprising that Apple has adjusted its sights to focus on baseball rather than football. Despite a friendly relationship with NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, Tim Cook doesn’t seem to have gained much traction in convincing the NFL to throw its hat in with Apple.

Apple’s negotiations with the NFL started nearly five years ago, when it began looking to acquire streaming rights for Thursday Night Football, but it eventually bowed out of a bidding war that ultimately saw the rights go to Amazon, which has held on to those rights through two renewals, with the price tag skyrocketing from $130 billion in 2018 to nearly $10 billion last year to lock in a ten-year deal that will run through 2033.

That pretty much leaves Apple out in the cold on that one, and while there are rumours that Apple plans to bid on NFL Sunday Ticket when it comes up for renewal later this year, most bets are on either Disney/ESPN or HBO Max picking it up instead.

Earlier reports also suggested that DirecTV was preparing to walk away from the deal entirely, following its acquisition by AT&T. However, there are recent rumours hinting the provider may hold on to the satellite rights, leaving only the streaming rights up for grabs.

The NFL will also reportedly be looking to up the ante on this one as well, with some analysts saying that NFL Sunday Ticket will likely go for no less than $2 billion per year. While that’s certainly not out of Apple’s league, the deal is about more than just money, and as a relatively new player, Apple will need to convince the NFL that it’s ready to take on such a large package.

Even so, Apple may bring something more unique to the table. Last fall, The Athletic reported that the NFL is intrigued by the idea of getting premium placement on the iPhones of so many fans — it’s hard to argue with viewership that extends to over a billion devices in everyone’s pockets. The league also reportedly likes the idea of diversifying its interests a bit, and since it already has a massive deal with Amazon for Thursday Night Football, and with ESPN for Monday Night Football.

[The information provided in this article has NOT been confirmed by Apple and may be speculation. Provided details may not be factual. Take all rumors, tech or otherwise, with a grain of salt.]