Apple’s Senior Vice President of Services Eddy Cue believes the current sports viewing experience has regressed — and he says the fix lies in more bundling and collaboration among streaming platforms.
Speaking at Motorsport Network’s Autosport Business Exchange in New York City, Cue didn’t mince words about the fragmentation facing sports fans.
“We’ve gone backwards,” Cue said. “You used to buy one subscription, your cable subscription, and you got pretty much everything they had. Now, there’s so many different subscriptions, so I think that needs to be fixed.”
Cue’s comments come as Apple continues to expand its sports footprint. The company just announced a five-year, $140 million per year deal for exclusive U.S. rights to Formula 1. Adding to its growing lineup that includes Major League Soccer and MLB’s Friday Night Baseball. Apple TV+ currently costs $12.99 per month.
Even as Apple becomes more involved in sports media, Cue was candid about the industry’s larger issue — too many siloed services creating a frustrating experience for consumers.
“If I’m a league and I have two partners, it should be very easy for me to go between them and do all kinds of things like picture-in-picture, but I can’t,” he said. “So I think there are definitely solutions to some of these. It’s harder, but that’s why we’re all here.”
Cue said the solution is simple in theory but complex in execution: more bundling and stronger partnerships. He emphasized that convenience and accessibility are key to growing sports audiences — especially among younger viewers.
Apple’s approach to sports rights differs from its competitors. Cue said the company prefers full ownership of a league’s rights portfolio rather than splitting packages among multiple broadcasters. While acknowledging that sports like F1 are still small in U.S. viewership compared to traditional leagues, Cue said their global reach presents massive potential.
“The truth is, it’s not huge yet. When you compare it from a sports point of view, that’s pretty tiny. So there’s a huge potential for the sport,” he said.
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