After an eight-year partnership, the NFL and DirecTV have ended their long-standing Sunday Ticket partnership. According to reports, the viewing package is moving and the league has chosen Apple as its preferred home for Sunday Ticket.
DirecTV, a long-standing partner of the NFL, doesn't appear likely to renew its contract. According to The Athletic, the NFL wants north of $2 billion per annum for Sunday Ticket Rights. This is more than what the satellite company currently pays the league.
DirecTV has been losing money for years on this package. CNBC reported that the average Sunday Ticket subscriber is closer to 2,000,000. However, it would need 5 million subscribers to pay the current fees. Combining that with the perception that the NFL is shifting more Sunday Ticket games to other days, it doesn't make repurposing the deal attractive for DirecTV or parent company AT&T.
Potential suitors with more money are showing interest. Apple, Disney/ESPN, and Amazon are some of the potential suitors who have expressed interest.
Although it will likely take several months for the Sunday Ticket bidding process to be completed, Apple appears to be the clear frontrunner. According to The Athletic, Apple may offer games on an ad-hoc basis. This could allow fans to buy out-of-market team games, or even standalone games.
