When people talk about Apple having a blank checkbook to secure sports broadcasting rights, it doesn’t appear to be hyperbole.
Apple senior vice president of services Eddy Cue told the Daily Mail that the company isn’t just looking at securing rights domestically in the U.S.
“We’re a global company. We have customers in every country in the world,” he said. “And it’s not exciting for me to have something that you can have but you can’t have.”
Apple is paying $595 million over seven years for its deal with MLB for Friday night games, while also paying $2.5 billion over a decade to be the exclusive broadcast home for MLS. The company was a finalist to buy the rights to NFL Sunday Ticket, and it’s also been linked to discussions with the Pac-12 about being a partner in the college sports space.
But the tech giant has its sights set on being a worldwide sports media partner, and it’s taking a different approach to how business gets done in that area.
“This isn’t ‘Hey, I’ve got an opening from 8 p.m. to 10 p.m. tonight, and I’m going to put this game on,'” Cue said. “That’s not the way we’re doing it. We’re all-in on this from an investment point of view, so it doesn’t work unless it’s something significant.”
