Apple is hoping to get NFL Sunday Ticket, a sports package that broadcasts NFL regular-season games unavailable on local affiliates as well as all regional Sunday afternoon games produced by Fox and CBS. DirecTV currently has the contract to offer Sunday Ticket, but that expires in 2022, at which point Apple could score the lucrative deal. 

According to a new report from The Information, Apple has an early interest in securing the rights to NFL’s Sunday Ticket package for its Apple TV+ video streaming service, although Sports Business Journal's John Ourand claimed the NFL has not yet entered into official negotiations. Keep in mind Apple likely won’t be the only company trying to get Sunday Ticket. Disney’s ESPN+ and Amazon’s Prime Video will likely be among the top players also trying to secure more games for their streaming platforms. 

Interestingly, The Information said Sunday Ticket has caused DirecTV (and AT&T) to lose money heading into 2022. AT&T will even pay "net losses” up to $2.5 billion over the remaining period of its contract. However, we suspect, for Apple, it's not necessarily about making billions of dollars through Sunday Ticket directly but more about enticing sports fans to its service.

Amazon, too, clearly sees the advantages of offering more sports coverage on its streaming service. For instance, it gained exclusive rights to Thursday Night Football games earlier this year. Speaking of Amazon, Apple poached the company's former executive, Jim DeLorenzo, last year to head up its sports content efforts. Perhaps he is leading the charge for Sunday Ticket.