Apple wants more sports rights, change how broadcasts are done, Eddy Cue says

In a recent discussion, Eddy Cue, Apple's services chief, expressed the company's ambition to acquire more sports broadcasting rights, emphasizing the need to innovate and differentiate their approach. "We don't have to do sports the way that they are. There's plenty of people doing that," he stated during an interview with CNBC at the Autosport Business Exchange in New York City. Currently, Apple TV offers Major League Baseball games on Friday nights and has secured a package for Major League Soccer, allowing fans to access all MLS matches. However, the tech giant is yet to obtain rights to major American sports leagues, such as the NFL, which recently sold its Sunday Ticket package to YouTube, or the NBA, whose games are partially available on Amazon Prime. This summer, Apple Original Films released a licensed film titled "F1," which grossed over $550 million, though Cue refrained from confirming whether Apple has acquired broadcast rights for the Formula 1 racing league. Cue highlighted various aspects of sports broadcasting he aims to improve, such as eliminating blackouts, reducing the need for multiple subscriptions, and enhancing access for viewers traveling abroad. He pointed to Apple TV's approach to MLS games as a successful model that addresses these issues, allowing global streaming without blackouts. "If we want people to watch games, and we want all of sports to grow, some of these things need to be fixed," he remarked. The Apple executive suggested that sports leagues could encourage their broadcast partners to collaborate on features like picture-in-picture for simultaneous games across different platforms. He also noted that Apple TV's MLB broadcasts stand out due to superior video quality and innovative camera angles, such as an iPhone placed on a foul pole to capture unique perspectives. In the long run, Apple aims to secure deals that allow them to broadcast games internationally rather than just for specific matches, as is currently the case with MLB. Cue described the Friday Night Baseball initiative, launched in 2022, as a crucial stepping stone for Apple to understand the complexities of sports broadcasting before potentially taking on entire leagues globally. "You had to start somewhere to learn a little bit about what it takes to broadcast before you decide to take on a whole league and broadcast worldwide," he concluded.