Apple Apparently Wants to Offer NFL Sunday Ticket to Apple TV+ Subscribers at No Extra Cost, But NFL Balks
Apple has yet to solidify a deal for the NFL Sunday Ticket package and talks could expand into 2023, according to a new report from Sportico (via The Verge).
NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said on Wednesday that the negotiations for Sunday Ticket have reached a "very critical point," with Apple the apparent frontrunner for the rights. The NFL had originally planned to establish a deal in the fall, but the end of the year is approaching and no final terms have been decided as of yet. Goodell said that there is no timeline, and the NFL's decisions are "based on getting the best outcome with the best party."
Sportico says that pricing on Sunday Ticket is a sticking point. Apple wants to include Sunday Ticket access in the $6.99 cost of an Apple TV+ subscription, with no additional charges, but the NFL is not happy with such a low price point as it needs to "protect the interests" of CBS and Fox, its Sunday afternoon broadcast partners. Together, the two networks will pay the NFL $40 billion for the 2023 season.
Disney and Amazon are also both interested in Sunday Ticket, so there are other options for the NFL. Rumors have suggested for months that Apple is the "likely winner" of the NFL Sunday Ticket package, but there were signs of negotiation issues earlier this year when CNBC reported that Apple wanted more contractual flexibility than the NFL was interested in providing.
Apple has been ramping up its sports offerings in recent months in an effort to draw more subscribers to Apple TV+. The company partnered with the MLB for "Friday Night Baseball," and it has inked a 10-year deal with Major League Soccer that is set to kick off next year.
Popular Stories
Apple turns 50 this year, and its CEO Tim Cook has promised to celebrate the milestone. The big day falls on April 1, 2026.
"I've been unusually reflective lately about Apple because we have been working on what do we do to mark this moment," Cook told employees today, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. "When you really stop and pause and think about the last 50 years, it makes your heart ...
Apple plans to announce the iPhone 17e on Thursday, February 19, according to Macwelt, the German equivalent of Macworld.
The report, citing industry sources, is available in English on Macworld.
Apple announced the iPhone 16e on Wednesday, February 19 last year, so the iPhone 17e would be unveiled exactly one year later if this rumor is accurate. It is quite uncommon for Apple to unveil...
In the iOS 26.4 update that's coming this spring, Apple will introduce a new version of Siri that's going to overhaul how we interact with the personal assistant and what it's able to do.
The iOS 26.4 version of Siri won't work like ChatGPT or Claude, but it will rely on large language models (LLMs) and has been updated from the ground up.
Upgraded Architecture
The next-generation...
While the iOS 26.3 Release Candidate is now available ahead of a public release, the first iOS 26.4 beta is likely still at least a week away. Following beta testing, iOS 26.4 will likely be released to the general public in March or April.
Below, we have recapped known or rumored iOS 26.3 and iOS 26.4 features so far.
iOS 26.3
iPhone to Android Transfer Tool
iOS 26.3 makes it easier...
The iPhone 18 Pro Max will feature a bigger battery for continued best-in-class battery life, according to a known Weibo leaker.
Citing supply chain information, the Weibo user known as "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone 18 Pro Max will have a battery capacity of 5,100 to 5,200 mAh. Combined with the efficiency improvements of the A20 Pro chip, made with TSMC's 2nm process, the...
