Apple is Taking Over Football

Apple, the most prominent company in the world appears to show interest in sports and is expanding its brand beyond physical products.

When Apple decides to enter a new market, it is likely to change forever. The company has recently announced they will initiate a new era of spatial computing with a groundbreaking device at the intersection of the reality and the virtual called the Apple Vision Pro. This time around, it is reported that the biggest company in the world is considering an important presence in the sports world and its business. For the past few years, the firm has diversified its activities beyond selling their highly-acclaimed devices. Apple is also offering services such as Apple Music, Apple Fitness+, Apple News+ and Apple TV+. The Cupertino firm excels in setting industry standards in each domain they enter, and their impact on culture cannot be ignored. They essentially revolutionized music with Itunes and the iPod which have tremendously impacted the way we consume and curate music. TV seems to be the next big thing for them as their video streaming service is reaching new heights with popular show Ted Lasso. Additionally, the MLS (Major League Soccer) has signed a 10-year, $2.5bn deal with the tech company earlier this year, giving Apple exclusive streaming rights to all MLS matches. This article delves into how Apple is preparing to rival giant sports broadcasters and grow their brand beyond their physical devices.

COMPETING WITH TV NETWORKS AND STREAMING PLATFORMS

With the iPhone being Apple’s most popular device, the company appears to be shifting its focus on offering ongoing subscriptions for services that can be used on the phone and in the living room.

Sports is a significant industry that attracts millions of fans worldwide and brings in a substantial number of viewers to TV broadcasters. For instance, Amazon witnessed a massive surge in viewership for its Prime service when it began broadcasting Premier League and NFL (National Football League) games. Sports tends to have a steady audience as there is always another match, much like a TV show episode with no end.

In June 2023, Lionel Messi, Argentinian World Cup winner and football superstar, agreed to join Inter Miami, an MLS franchise. This move signifies that football is becoming increasingly relevant in North America. Indeed, having the best player in the history of the most popular sport ever will benefit the MLS and Apple and allow them to generate massive revenue and increase their presence in this space. Thanks to its exclusivity to Apple TV+, the MLS and Messi fans will have to subscribe to the MLS season pass to watch games. Not only the app is available on Apple devices, but also on other platforms such as Playstation, Xbox, Android, Amazon Fire TV and most of the smart TVs. This shows Apple’s ambitions to change the way we watch sports.

On the other hand, for sports or football fans in general, watching their favourite players and teams can be very expensive and complicated, as most leagues split their games across multiple streaming platforms and TV networks. Fans are constrained to buy many subscriptions and Apple can simplify and change that by centralizing games into one singular app allowing them to watch games anywhere, anytime and consult statistics around teams and players directly onto the app for cheaper. Also, it was rumoured that the firm was preparing to rival major British TV networks for the Premier League TV rights. This would make MLS and Premier League fans pay for one subscription and bring more people to the ecosystem.

BRINGING SPORTS TO THE ECOSYSTEM

Sports and Apple TV+ can bring more users to Apple’s ecosystem, which is a term used to describe the company’s digital and physical products and services working seamlessly with one another. The more Apple products a user gets, the better the service gets. The Apple TV app not only is a library for TV shows and movies but is becoming a hub for sports enthusiasts. They have understood that they could expand their ecosystem to non-Apple devices by porting their app to these platforms. It is a way to market their own brand and appeal to new potential clients in order to consume Apple.

The popular show Ted Lasso has helped Apple reach a wider audience due to its global success and exclusivity. The story is set in England, where football is deeply ingrained in the culture and daily life. It follows Ted, an American football coach who is hired to manage a British football team. The series humorously depicts the culture surrounding football in the UK and has attracted viewers to the app, including Americans who may not be familiar with the sport. The show's theme aligns well with Apple's partnership with the MLS.

With a 10-year deal with the MLS and their role in orchestrating Messi’s transfer to the MLS, Apple is on its way to making football part of its operating system. It wouldn’t be surprising if the company signs new deals with other leagues or franchises across various sports. By doing such, Apple is reinventing the way sports is consumed. We could see the company merge all of their services from Apple Music to Fitness+, TV+, and more into one subscription, making its devices and platform home to sports and even entertainment in its entirety.

---

Be part of STEELO, a community-based platform that covers the intersection between fashion, music, culture and tech by bridging communities across the UK, the US, Europe and Africa.

Join the STEELO Forum to get involved today and subscribe to stay up to date with everything STEELO.

Download STEELO today and explore music culture through a new video experience never seen before.