It’s a well-documented fact that human life is more than capable of coexisting with many different forces. Such a setup helps us big time in introducing different facets to our experiences, thus setting the perfect stage for a multi-dimensional brand of growth. Now, using this dynamic to our advantage more consistently, we would go on to manufacture wide-ranging opportunities for ourselves. In hindsight, if we take a moment to assess the opportunities there have been so far, what we’ll see is a wide expanse, and yet despite the high volume, we can pick the most impact of them all quite easily, with the answer being technology. Technology gets to be an opportunity mainly for the way it has segwayed us into a whole new reality. Today, we boast an unbelievably higher level in almost all imaginable contexts, and a representation of that can be thoroughly observed at a frontier like entertainment. As our habits around entertainment avenues have changed drastically, there is a growing need to cater them in the most innovative way possible. While there is a host of companies already trying to realize that ambition, we are set to see one new entrant. In fact, it’s a name that might change the whole landscape forever.
According to a sensational report by The New York Post, Apple is currently in extensive talks with Major League Baseball to acquire the broadcasting rights to the league’s weekday package. Although the rights won’t be entirely exclusive due to MLB’s obligation of making the games available on regional sports networks, it can still very well be a major boost to Apple’s streaming service, Apple TV+. Launched in 2019, Apple TV+ was supposed to give Netflix and Amazon Prime a run for their money, but it hasn’t quite panned out that way. Hence, Apple is seemingly ready to go on the offense and cause disruption across the streaming scene.
“When you’re looking to develop a content strategy on any media platform, one of the quickest ways to do it, and expensive by the way, is to add sports,” said Lee Berke, CEO of LHB Sports, a company known for advising players of the sports entertainment industry.
MLB, on the other hand, has its own reasons to actively pursue a deal here. At the moment, the league is going through a lockout, which was essentially triggered by a disagreement on how the league should spread out the revenue. Apart from that, the baseball league is also understood to be at loggerheads with the current broadcaster in ESPN over the real value of rights. Hence, having a name like Apple interested, if not anything else, will help MLB in putting-together a better leverage whenever they meet ESPN next time to hammer out a deal.