Apple is working to secure an exclusive TV deal with soccer governing organization FIFA, reports The New York Times. FIFA is planning a new month-long World Cup-style tournament that will see top teams compete, and Apple wants the TV rights.
An agreement between Apple and FIFA could be announced as soon as this month, and the first tournament will take place in the United States next summer. Apple could be paying around $1 billion, and The New York Times says it is not yet clear if there will be any free-to-air rights. If not, the entire tournament could be available only to Apple TV+ subscribers.
Apple has already shelled out $2.5 billion to secure global broadcasting rights to Major League Soccer. MLS and League Cup games are streamed on Apple TV+, with access priced at $14.99 per month or $99 per season for non-subscribers and $12.99 per month or $79 per season for those who subscribe to Apple TV+.
Apple sees live sports as a way to lure new customers to the Apple TV+ streaming service. In addition to the MLS deal, it has also secured a deal with Major League Baseball. Apple negotiated for NFL Sunday Ticket access, and while that didn’t work out, a report from The Athletic suggests that Apple is still in the running to secure some streaming access to NBA games.
Earlier this year, Apple introduced a dedicated Apple Sports app that allows users to get real-time scores and stats for their favorite teams. The app is able to sync with the My Sports experience in the Apple TV app.
Popular Stories
PlayStation, GameCube, Wii, and SEGA Emulator for iPhone and Apple TV Coming to App Store
The lead developer of the multi-emulator app Provenance has told iMore that his team is working towards releasing the app on the App Store, but he did not provide a timeframe. Provenance is a frontend for many existing emulators, and it would allow iPhone and Apple TV users to emulate games released for a wide variety of classic game consoles, including the original PlayStation, GameCube, Wii,…
Apple Reportedly Stops Production of FineWoven Accessories
Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories, according to the Apple leaker and prototype collector known as “Kosutami.” In a post on X (formerly Twitter), Kosutami explained that Apple has stopped production of FineWoven accessories due to its poor durability. The company may move to another non-leather material for its premium accessories in the future. Kosutami has revealed…
iOS 17.5 Will Add These New Features to Your iPhone
The upcoming iOS 17.5 update for the iPhone includes only a few new user-facing features, but hidden code changes reveal some additional possibilities. Below, we have recapped everything new in the iOS 17.5 and iPadOS 17.5 beta so far. Web Distribution Starting with the second beta of iOS 17.5, eligible developers are able to distribute their iOS apps to iPhone users located in the EU…
Delta Game Emulator Now Available From App Store on iPhone
Game emulator apps have come and gone since Apple announced App Store support for them on April 5, but now popular game emulator Delta from developer Riley Testut is available for download. Testut is known as the developer behind GBA4iOS, an open-source emulator that was available for a brief time more than a decade ago. GBA4iOS led to Delta, an emulator that has been available outside of…
