Apple has made a deal with the NFL, but the one announced early Friday morning wasn’t the kind of partnership most expected.
Apple Music will become the NFL’s new Super Bowl Halftime Show partner in the multiyear pact. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.
Apple Music replaces Pepsi, which had the rights to the halftime show for the prior 10 Super Bowls.
Super Bowl LVI’s halftime show had 120 million viewers with performances by Dr. Dre, Eminem, Snoop Dogg, Mary J. Blige, 50 Cent, and Kendrick Lamar. The performance won an Emmy for Outstanding Variety Special in early September.
Apple has had previous talks with the NFL as it looks to expand its sports portfolio.
- The tech giant has shown interest in acquiring a minority stake in NFL Media, which includes NFL Network, NFL RedZone, and NFL.com.
- Apple is also a frontrunner for NFL Sunday Ticket, the package of out-of-town games that will become available after the season. The NFL is seeking $2.5 billion per season, $1 billion more than DirecTV — which has had the package exclusively since 1994 — pays in its current deal.
Next season, MLS will make its debut on Apple TV+ as part of a $2.5 billion, 10-year deal. Apple TV+ also has a deal with MLB.
Apple Shuffle
“Music and sports hold a special place in our hearts, so we’re very excited Apple Music will be part of music and football’s biggest stage,” said Oliver Schusser, Apple’s VP of Apple Music and Beats.
No acts have been announced yet for Super Bowl LVII on Feb. 12.
