With ESPN, Amazon Prime Video, and Fox Sports reportedly passing on the upcoming television rights package for the Pac-12, Apple has entered the fray.
According to a report from The New York Post, Apple as viewed as the leader in the clubhouse for the Pac-12 rights. Pac-12 Commissioner George Kliavkoff could present a proposal from the streaming platform to member schools over the course of the coming days.
In the potential deal, Apple would expect to hold the rights to all of the conference’s broadcasts.
Kliavkoff has been outspoken in his belief that the conference will secure a rights deal in the same neighborhood or even larger than that of the Big 12. That contract between the league, FOX Sports, and ESPN will pay each member school roughly $31 million per year after the six-year contract was struck in October of last year.
A deal with the Pac-12 would be a continuation of Apple’s foray into the sports landscape. It currently broadcasts a Friday Night Baseball package of MLB games. Apple was also long considered the front-runner to secure the NFL Sunday Ticket package that ultimately went to YouTube. The streaming platform is also set to embark on a 10-year, $2.5 billion contract with Major League Soccer that gives Apple the global rights to all the league’s contests.
The Pac-12’s current television rights deal with FOX Sports and ESPN runs through the conclusion of the 2023 season.
Spokespeople for both the Pac-12 and Apple declined to comment on the potential deal.
