You probably know Apple for iPhones, MacBooks, and other awesome tech products. But do you know anything about Apple in Football?
Well, they are already in the business. Yep, Apple could be the next big thing in football!
Global football might be a huge industry but in financial terms, it pales in comparison next to a company like Apple.
Which all begs the question, when Apple already makes much more money in other Industries.
Why are they actually interested in football?
Why Apple wants to get into Football?
Apple is already a massive company, making tons of money from tech products. Their market value is a mindblowing $2.9 trillion! For Context, That’s way more than oil giants like Saudi Aramco.
So why does a tech giant like Apple care about football? Simple – because football is the most popular sport in the world! Apple sees a huge opportunity to make money and grow by bringing football to its platforms.
And in terms of product areas, Apple is already a dominant force or intends to become one. Sports falls within the entertainment sector football is the world’s most popular sport and that is why Apple wants to buy a football and has already done so in North America.
In 2023, Apple spent $2.5 billion to get rights to broadcast Major League Soccer (MLS) games for 10 years on Apple TV+. That’s over $250 million per year! This may seem like a lot, but Apple makes so much money that it’s basically pocket change for them.
MLS previously earned $90 million per year via its deals with Fox ESPN and Univision.
If Apple can persuade millions of people worldwide to tune into MLS VI its pay-TV platform not only will Apple make money but it could be a precursor to a move for the biggest leagues in Europe.
The Crazy Wealth of Apple
To give you an idea of how rich Apple is – in 2023 they made almost $400 billion in revenue and $97 billion in pure profit! They literally had $162 billion in cash just sitting around in November 2023.
The MLS deal costs them $250 million per year. To cover that, they need about 2.5 million people to subscribe to their MLS package which costs around $14.99 per month or $99 per year.
Considering the popularity of football, that’s an easy target for Apple to hit.
Plus, the real aim is not just to make money from MLS subscriptions directly. It’s to get more people into the Apple ecosystem and get them buying more Apple products and services over time.
Apple TV +: The Streaming Hub
Apple’s main way to show football is through Apple TV+, their streaming service. It may be relatively new compared to Netflix or Prime Video, but it’s growing rapidly.
Apple TV Plus was launched in 2019 but has already had a string of critical hits it started later than the biggest streamers so it remains behind some of them in paying subscribers;
Netflix has around 250 million,
Amazon Prime Video has around 220 million,
and Disney Plus at around 150 million.
Apple has 25 million paying subscribers but some 50 million more can access it via third-party offers or for trial periods having bought Apple hardware.
Apple’s first major foray into football already happened in August 2019 when it began screening its original comedy-drama, Ted Lasso.
In 2023, Ted Lasso was the most-watched original streaming show with 16.9 billion minutes of viewing time! beating every other show on every other Streamer. Shows like this get people hooked on Apple TV+.
In March 2022 Apple made its first move into live sports after doing an 8-year deal worth £85 million per year or 595 million in total for the rights to show two live major league baseball games each Friday.
MLS
In 2022, Apple and MLS announced they would partner up for 10 years starting in 2023. Apple wasn’t the first tech company to get into broadcasting live sports though.
Amazon pays $1 billion per year to show NFL games on Thursdays.
YouTube pays $2 billion per year for NFL games on Sundays.
Those are some huge deals, but Apple was going after something different – exclusive MLS rights.This is a big deal because:
- It gives Apple exclusive content that you can’t get anywhere else
- It introduces MLS to Apple’s huge global audience
- It allows Apple to test and improve their live sports streaming capabilities
The Messi Factor
Apple got really lucky in their first season of broadcasting MLS games. Inter Miami signed Lionel Messi – arguably the greatest football player ever!
In June 2023, just before turning 36, Messi announced he was joining MLS club Inter Miami. He officially joined in July.
When Messi joined Miami, Apple already had close to 1 million subscribers to their MLS pass. But in just one week after his transfer, they added 110,000 more!
By mid-August 2023, the Inter Miami co-owner tweeted that the “Messi effect” was real. Subscriptions to the MLS pass on Apple TV+ had more than doubled since Messi arrived. Even Apple’s CEO Tim Cook retweeted it.
So by summer 2023, Apple’s MLS offering had around 2 million subscribers because of Messi.
Having Messi gives Apple TV+ loads of extra benefits too. They’ll make a 4-part documentary series with him that’ll be promoted to his 500 million social media followers!
Apple will also get access to dozens of other clubs and star players to make additional shows and content.
And that’s on top of the benefits from Apple’s upcoming $3,500 mixed-reality Vision Pro headset.
Apple Vision Pro
But that’s not all! Apple is going big into mixed reality with their new Vision Pro headset. Imagine watching live MLS games or other football content in a full virtual reality immersive experience!
The Vision Pro sold out over 200,000 units in just two weeks when pre-orders opened in January 2024. Apple expects to sell 500,000 to 1 million units in the first year alone, despite the high $3,500 price tag.
As this technology develops, you may be able to watch MLS or Messi himself in realistic virtual reality through the Vision Pro.
Conclusion:
In just a few years, Apple has positioned itself to potentially become a leader in broadcasting football and other sports. With the MLS deal, Messi factor, Apple TV+ growth, and upcoming Vision Pro, they are setting themselves up for future domination.
Apple wants in the not-too-distant future, you to watch a football game on your Macbook or via Apple Vision Pro. Get Notifications about the match on your iWatch all this while talking with your friends through Facetime.
And if all goes well for them in the Big Apple they could venture into other European leagues as well maybe even the Champions League.
