Apple withdraws from NFL broadcast rights negotiations, Google’s YouTube TV is influential | Forbes JAPAN (Forbes Japan)
A few months ago, media industry analysts thought Apple was certain to acquire the streaming rights to NFL Sunday tickets. However, recent reports suggest that Apple has pulled out of the deal, with Google-owned YouTube’s YouTube TV emerging as the frontrunner instead.
The New York Times (NYT) reported on December 20 that Google is nearing a deal, in negotiations to purchase NFL Sunday tickets from DirecTV for $2.5 billion annually. rice field.
As viewers leave cable TV and move to streaming, live sports have become an important source of revenue for TV distributors. Advertisers want to advertise on content that viewers can’t skip, like live sports.
YouTube TV, which YouTube is developing in the United States, is a service that allows users to watch more than 85 TV channels in the United States for a monthly fee of $64.99, and has more than 5 million subscribers. Live TV, a similar service provided by Hulu. of 4.1 million people.
The Athletic reports that one of the reasons Apple pulled out of the deal was that the Sunday Ticket deal didn’t include global distribution rights. Apple was also reportedly seeking comprehensive partnerships with sports leagues, rather than simply taking on the role of broadcasting the games.
DirecTV has deals with four major networks, so current Sunday Ticket subscribers can access all NFL games on one platform. YouTube TV also has deals with these networks, so if they win the rights to Sunday Tickets, they’ll be able to recreate the same experience as DirecTV. Not so with Apple’s Apple TV+.
YouTube’s acquisition of the NFL’s Sunday Ticket is expected to bring in new subscribers, increase premium advertising and generate more ad revenue from big brands. It could be an investment that pays off in the long run for search advertising giant Google.
