In the midst of the current transformation in the field of sports broadcasting rights, the technology company Apple has entered the public sports arena, considering that attracting sports audiences has become an inevitable necessity dictated by reality.

Apple has announced in recent years taking some serious steps in this direction, starting with producing the sports series 'Ted Lasso,' followed by the launch of a new app called 'Apple Sports,' a free app that allows iPhone users to follow match results and updates instantly and sustainably.

As part of this endeavor, the company has acquired broadcasting rights to many tournaments such as the NBA, NFL, MLB, UFC, Grand Slam tennis tournaments, as well as Formula 1 races.

In this regard, Eddie Cue, Apple's vice president, said, 'The creation of the app aims initially to provide sports fans with an enjoyable and unique viewing experience, as the app allows audiences to access results and statistics quickly.'

He added that it will not be limited to football only, but many sports will be included in the app over time.

But what are the features that make watching on the Apple app a new and different experience from existing apps?

Something's Going On

The app offers the ability to follow matches "live" by integrating the "Apple TV" service within the new app in a simple and seamless manner, in the form of a single button. When pressed, the broadcast starts.

Cue gave an example during a TV interview of following basketball. When he opens the app to check his favorite team's results, he can directly switch to watching the match through the "Apple TV" button.

These updates in Apple's approach to dealing with sports represent a serious challenge to traditional media companies and ad-supported sports apps like Disney's ESPN, which owns "broadcasting rights to various sports" entirely, in the absence of competition.

Therefore, Apple's entry into the competition arena will automatically withdraw from the balance of other platforms, leveraging its extraordinary ability to market its products and its huge budget.

Some experts believe that companies specialized in this field have no choice but to raise the white flag, and it's better for them to integrate their apps with the new Apple app, especially since the integration of the company's devices, numbering two billion worldwide, along with the larger audience of the world's biggest digital sports company, ESPN, with 105 million monthly visitors, will undoubtedly create a strong commercial mix.

Some may wonder: If the biggest competitor in the sports field doesn't care about its apps completely, but is ready to get rid of them or merge them in case of a stronger competitor, then what's the gain from Apple entering this competition in the first place?

It all started with Ted Lasso.

The tech company began attracting sports audiences several years ago, specifically with the launch of the "Apple TV" service on November 1, 2019, as a production company providing live streaming and on-demand video services, replacing advertisements with monthly or annual subscriptions.

In 2019, the company expanded the service to include many electronic devices, including competitors to Apple such as Android and Windows, in addition to television devices, "Android TV," and "Chromecast."

From the outset, this platform was released to the public as a direct competitor to other platforms with the same specialization, such as Netflix, where it announced its first productions on August 14, 2020, with the series Ted Lasso, a sports comedy series. This series was considered indicative of the direction the company would take, especially with the attraction of Spanish coach Pep Guardiola as a guest of honor in the final episodes of the series.

After just one year of airing the series, the company began taking some deeper steps, ultimately reaching a major sponsorship deal with the American football league, where "Apple TV" would be the only digital platform in the world entrusted with broadcasting all matches for a period of 10 years starting from the beginning of the 2023 season.

The company also played an active role in attracting Lionel Messi to the American league, after signing a partnership with the player worth $2.5 billion, where the company was obliged to produce a documentary series with "Apple TV" about his life story, focusing on his role in the World Cup as a constant theme.

In the realm of technology

The platform "Apple TV" and its technologies and features, especially when integrated with other technologies, are considered crucial. This is the main reason for Apple's entry into the world of sports.

This means that there is a significant possibility of watching league matches in 3D technology, making you feel truly immersed in the stadium among the players.

Now that Messi is present in this league, and consequently on this platform, the company has played on this theme in its advertising campaign to boost sales of the new product "Apple Vision Pro". Viewers only need to pay $3500 once to watch the Argentine star face to face every week.

This also means that all the money Apple has invested in the sports industry may have promotional goals for its new products and technologies.