A recent report indicates that Apple is currently negotiating to get the streaming rights to Big Ten athletic events. These include collegiate football and basketball leagues in the U.S.
Big Ten is the Oldest and Most Prominent U.S. Conference for Collegiate Athletics
For the unfamiliar, Big Ten happens to be the oldest and most prominent conference in the U.S. for Division I collegiate athletics. It even predates the NCAA, its regulating commission. Close to becoming a super conference, Big Ten recently got a big boost with the addition of USC and UCLA.
According to The Athletic, Apple is currently involved in talks to get the streaming rights for Big Ten athletic events. Aside from Apple, Amazon is also aiming to get streaming rights. The report said that ESPN, which used to air Big Ten athletic events, is “not expected to land” a package this year, ending the 40-year-long relationship between the two organizations. Meanwhile, Fox has locked up parts of the streaming rights for Big Ten games.
CBS and NBC May Broadcast Big Ten Athletic Events, Too
The report also noted that aside from Apple, CBS and NBC may get broadcast rights as well. Apart from the broadcasting rights, the report mentioned that Big Ten will be adding a streaming package that both Apple and Amazon apparently are eyeing. The report said that the package will not include all Big Ten sporting events. Certain events will get streamed on certain days of the week.
As of this writing, it remains uncertain whether Apple or Amazon will get the streaming rights. Earlier, Amazon was favored to get the streaming rights. But with Apple in the picture, tables could turn against Amazon. Thanks to the USC/UCLA expansion announced on June 30, Amazon has to compete against Apple for the streaming rights.
Should Apple prevail during the negotiations, the Big Ten athletic events will give the Cupertino-based tech giant’s foray into live sports streaming and the Apple TV+ a big boost. A previous report said that Apple might get streaming rights for the NFL as well.