Could Apple TV be acquiring ESPN in the near future?
According to Wall Street analyst Daniel Ives it seems like a probable possibility as Apple TV looks to beef up it’s presence in the live streaming market and the addition of the powerhouse sports brand ESPN would go a long way in doing just that.
Apple’s next move may have been tipped following their acquisition of rights to Major League Soccer and Major League Baseball, and with the obvious emphasis on sports live streaming platform content, ESPN may be their crown jewel.
Ives said that an ESPN deal for Apple would “gain valuable sports content, major TV rights across each of the major professional and college sports packages, and change the cross-sell opportunities and attractiveness of Apple TV looking ahead while putting Apple on the sports map, globally speaking,” according to Deadline’s Dade Hayes.
While it would be a benefit for both companies, Ives pointed out that acquiring ESPN may come with a price tag of $50 billion for Apple TV.
At this time, Disney has not given a firm indication that it would be willing or is planning to completely sell ESPN, but whenever (or if) they do, that price tag will be hefty.
