Apple is in a peculiar spot right now.
The company is in the midst of an antitrust case filed by the U.S. Department of Justice that insinuates that the company is leading a monopoly due to the ecosystem it has created through its products like the iPhone.
This is on top of slowing sales of the company's flagship iPhone as well as underwhelming early returns for the newly-released Apple Vision Pro that have contributed to the company's nearly 10% year-to-date stock decline.
But while Apple's (AAPL) hardware products often take the spotlight, the tech giant has a bevy of other products to still find growth in — including its push into media through its streaming service, Apple TV+.
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Apple TV+ does not have a reported subscriber number, but it's unlikely that the product comes anywhere close to Netflix's nearly 270 million worldwide subscribers or 80 million U.S. subscribers. But the product has still produced some television exclusives that have hit such as "Ted Lasso."
And the soccer-based television program has helped catapult Apple's foray into live sports as Apple TV+ has reached a $2.5 billion deal with Major League Soccer to air the soccer league for the next decade.
Apple, which also has the rights to air some Major League Baseball games, has reportedly had its hand in negotiating for other live sports media rights, including the impending negotiations with the NBA. But the company is reportedly close to reaching another deal that doubles down on soccer — this time at an international level.
The New York Times reported on Monday, April 22 that Apple is close to a media rights deal with soccer governing body FIFA to air what would be a new, World Cup-style tournament that would feature club teams from around the globe.
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Apple's deal with FIFA is not confirmed yet, but is expected to be announced as soon as this month. The financial details are also expected to cost Apple about $1 billion, which is only about a fourth of what FIFA was looking for — though the length of the deal is unclear.
It's also unclear whether all the games will be aired behind the Apple TV+ paywall.
The move likely signals Apple's continuous commitment to live sports, particularly soccer, which, while still behind major sports like football and basketball in terms of popularity in America, has seen a massive rise especially due to the arrival of Lionel Messi to MLS.
The U.S. is also set to host the traditional World Cup in 2026, and is in the bidding to host the Women's World Cup in either 2027 or 2031.
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