Saturday, April 18, 2026

Apple Making Move for Premier League U.K. Rights

  • Apple could bid for U.K. media rights to the Premier League.
  • Some team owners believe the current rights are underpriced.
Premier-League
Premier League

Apple reportedly has its sights on the world’s biggest soccer league.

The tech giant is exploring a bid for U.K. media rights to the Premier League, according to the Daily Mail, which would likely present a formidable challenge to the league’s current broadcasters.

  • The league’s current deals with Sky Sports, BBC Sport, BT Sport, and Amazon run through 2025, but the next set of rights negotiations will happen later this year.
  • Those broadcasters will collectively pay $6.3 billion over the current three-year cycle — certain American Premier League team owners, such as Chelsea’s Todd Boehly, reportedly believe it is underpriced.

In November, BT Sport closed a deal with Warner Bros. Discovery to create a new sports media giant in the U.K. and Ireland that holds rights to the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, the Olympics, Grand Slam tennis tournaments, and the Tour de France.

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Apple’s Goal

Boasting a market capitalization of $2.2 trillion, Apple has made soccer a central part of its sports media strategy. 

It turned heads last June by securing a 10-year, $2.5 billion contract for exclusive rights to stream Major League Soccer. It has also reportedly bid for rights for Eredivisie, Netherlands’ top soccer league.

In 2021, it struck a deal with the Premier League to use its licensed material in its hit show “Ted Lasso.” 

Last week, it released a docuseries on the European Super League titled “The War for Football.”

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