NFL sends Sunday ticket talks with Apple and Google overtime

Discussions for Sunday Ticket set to continue next year as Apple faces increased competition from Google for latest rights TV available from the league.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">National Football League Commissioner Roger Goodell flew to Sun Valley, Idaho this summer for the annual press conference of Allen & Company, confident that the N.F.L. was about to announce his latest blockbuster television rights deal.

"We'll probably have a decision by the fall," he said. to CNBC at the time.

< p class="css-at9mc1 evys1bk0">But nearly five months later, the league is still looking for a tech or media company willing to replace DirecTV as the rights holder of Sunday Ticket, which allows fans to watch all N.F.L. game, not just those broadcast in their region. Negotiations are now expected to stretch into next year, according to five people familiar with the talks.

The Sunday Ticket negotiations have been closely watched by analysts and investors. leaders. Live sports, especially N.F.L. games, are one of the latest staples of traditional television. Who the winning bidder is, how much they pay and how the deal is structured will have seismic implications for the sports, media and tech industries.

Bid for the games' prized Sunday Ticket package could set a precedent for how much tech companies like Apple and Google are willing to pay to attract viewers from traditional TV companies, who still depend on cable subscription fees and advertising to stay afloat.

Sunday Ticket's competitive landscape changed as talks dragged on, people familiar with the talks said. Sports and media executives have long seen Apple as the frontrunner, with some involved in the bidding process saying they believe the tech giant has reached a deal.

Image League commissioner Roger Goodell said he was confident he would find a media partner.Credit ...Kirby Lee/USA Today Sports, via Reuters

But in the absence of a deal, Google stepped up, aiming to win the package for YouTube TV, the company's cable service, said four of those people. Other interested bidders include Disney's Amazon and ESPN.

Robert Kyncl, YouTube's chief commercial officer, played a key role in Google's suit. Although he will take up a new role early next year as chief executive of Warner Music Group, Mr Kyncl is committed to working with YouTube to complete the deal, three people familiar with the deal have said. its priorities. He has a relationship with Brian Rolapp, the NFL's business manager, who worked with Mr. Kyncl during Google's unsuccessful bid for Sunday Ticket in 2013.

League negotiations with Apple, Google and others have dragged on as they try to bundle the N.F.L. Sunday off market. games with other media resources, including NFL Network and the NFL RedZone channel, according to these people.

Last year, the N.F.L. hired Goldman Sachs to help explore selling a stake in these media companies. The decision was partly prompted by the league's acknowledgment that Sunday Ticket competes for subscribers with the RedZone channel, which cycles back and forth between live football matches on Sundays as teams are about to play. to score touchdowns.

In seeking investors in this channel and other media companies, the N.F.L. must negotiate how to structure a joint venture with an investment partner who would likely want a say in the operating structure of the joint ownership, these people...