CBS, Fox NFL Broadcast Deals Present Sunday Ticket Challenges 

The NFL has one more big play to make with its media rights — but striking a deal is proving more complicated than simply picking a bidder.

The league intends to select a streaming provider for NFL Sunday Ticket this year, but exclusivity deals with its linear broadcasters have introduced challenges, per CNBC.

• Apple is believed to be the frontrunner for the out-of-market games package — the NFL is seeking around $2.5 billion annually.
• The league’s broadcast deals with CBS and Fox include exclusive access to local games, which has helped dictate the networks’ purchases of local TV stations.
• Those deals also reportedly mandate that Sunday Ticket retain a high price tag for consumers.

Apple would prefer a deal similar to the 10-year, $2.5 billion one it has with Major League Soccer, to which it holds global rights. Sunday Ticket is currently a U.S.-only product.

DirecTV holds the rights for Sunday Ticket through this season for an annual $1.5 billion. The company has historically lost money on the package. Amazon, Disney, and Google have also shown interest in the product.

Package Deal

The NFL is looking to pair Sunday Ticket with a stake in NFL Media, which includes NFL.com and cable networks NFL Network and RedZone. 

The league may still adjust course and sell that stake separately, particularly if it hinders a deal for Sunday Ticket.