Apple and Google to Bid for Premier League TV Rights

Apple and Google are interested in bidding for the right to broadcast live Premier League football on their respective TV streaming services, according to the Daily Mail.

Reported on January 3, the Mail believes that the two tech giants are considering bidding for the Premier League, which is also being bid on by Sky, ESPN and Middle East network Al Jezeera.

Broadcasting the Premier League on the Apple TV and iPad could prove incredibly lucrative for Apple, who's Apple TV set-top box could do with a much-needed boost in content, as streaming services in the UK are limited, compared to what American customers can watch.

The Daily Mail said: "The involvement of Apple - and their great multimedia rivals Google are also expected to make similar soundings - would give the PL a hugely competitive market at a time when the price of other TV sports rights are in decline."

Apple earns good money from its iTunes services in the UK, but the amount of streaming content available to British users of the Apple TV is lacking.

Brand loyalty towards Rupert Murdoch's BskyB may well have fallen in the last 12 months, following his failed bid to buy the remaining 70 percent of the broadcaster that he does not own, then the dramatic closure of his News of The World newspaper amid allegations of phone hacking by journalists.

In the U.S., Apple TV customers can subscribe to sports packages including NBA Basketball, Major League Baseball and National Hockey League.

Sky currently offers Sky Go, giving iPad and iPhone users the ability to watch Sky Sports and Sky Movies on their mobile devices for no extra change on top of their monthly TV subscription.

If priced competitively, a Premier League service on the Apple TV might be enough to persuade some Sky customers to move away their expensive subscription plans.

Televised sport has moved to subscription services more and more in recent years, and Sky recently bought the rights to broadcast Formula One in the UK, meaning that for the first time in more than 50 years the sport will not be available in full on terrestrial television; instead, the BBC will show half of the races live and offer highlights of the rest.