A deal with ESPN could fit Apple’s plan to distribute sports globally through subscriptions. The company began a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with MLS this season. Apple is known to be very finickity in its negotiations, but if anyone could close a deal with Apple, it may be Iger, who was on their board.Īpple’s plan in sports is to have global distribution through subscriptions. That is why the idea of being pre-loaded onto iPhones or other devices to lead in the next frontier of distribution is appealing to ESPN. That is still an insane amount of dough, but ESPN was once in more than 100 million homes. With each household paying in the neighborhood of $10 per month, the company is still earning three quarters of a billion dollars per month in cable fees. With the acceleration of cord cutting, ESPN is now in around 72 million homes. What one of the big tech or mobile companies could offer is improved distribution, which historically is how dominance in media is won, dating back to the first days of the printing press.ĮSPN became the most powerful sports network in the world by combining its dual revenue streams of cable fees through national distribution and advertising. Disney CEO Robert Iger indicated he’s looking for a minority investor for ESPN. When it does occur, ESPN the mothership will remain available on cable television and cord-cutters will be able to stream it directly. The tech platforms are the clear direction Disney/ESPN is looking for as it seeks a minority investment, which Disney CEO Bob Iger first discussed publicly earlier this month in an interview with CNBC.ĮSPN/Disney’s main motive is to improve distribution when it takes the full ESPN product direct-to-consumer, which sources reiterated likely will occur in 2025, but is expected to happen no later than 2026. There is some level of interest from most of the major tech world. While those companies are all possibilities, the list does not end there. The strategic partner for ESPN is expected to come from the tech world - with companies such as Apple, Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Verizon and T-Mobile all on the radar, The Post has learned.
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