APPLE TO ENTER BIDDING WAR FOR PREMIER LEAGUE RIGHTS

APPLE TV are preparing a bid for the next set of Premier League domestic television rights that would transform the way the topflight is broadcast in this country. The tech giant are looking to increase their live football coverage, with a 10-year contract to broadcast Major League Soccer beginning next month. They have already dipped their toe into the Premier League market by making a documentary about the European Super League, called The War for Football, which was released yesterday. The Premier League’s current three-year deal with Sky Sports and BT Sport expires in 2025, with the tender process for the next set of rights due to begin later this year. Many clubs with American owners, such as Chelsea under Todd Boehly, are convinced that at £5.1billion over three years the current rights are undervalued and are looking to US tech companies to drive up the price. A serious bid from Apple is the biggest threat to Sky Sports’ dominance of Premier League coverage since they gained exclusive rights to the competition in 1992, as they have the financial clout to challenge them.