Kieran Maguire: Liverpool could now cash in as £5bn Apple deal on the cards
Liverpool stand to benefit if Apple’s pursuit of the Premier League’s domestic TV rights sparks a bidding war with Sky Sports.
That is the view of finance guru Kieran Maguire, speaking exclusively to Football Insider about the tech giants’ reported interest in disrupting the UK broadcast market.
As relayed by the Daily Mail earlier this month (13 January), Apple are considering a bid to rival Sky for the TV rights.
The current deal is worth £5.1billion and expires at the end of the 2024-25 campaign,
It is understood that several American-owned teams, among which Liverpool count themselves, believe the rights are undervalued and could soar if an OTT platform like Apple gets involved.
Maguire claims that Apple’s interest could force the likes of Sky to up their bid when negotiations for the 2025-2028 rights begin later this year.
“Apple recently signed a 10-year deal with MLS,” he told Football Insider’s Adam Williams.
“They are looking to broaden its appeal in terms of expanding its portfolio of products and services. There is no doubt that live-streaming events is appealing.
“Does Apple have the resources? Yes, they do. You only need to look at their accounts to see that.
“I think the only issue here is that this could be the Premier League sewing seeds.
“They have done a three-year deal that will see us through to 2025. Negotiations for the next set of rights will take place this year. The Premier League wants competition for the rights.
“If they say Apple are interested, that might force up the price. Sky need the Premier League more than the Premier League need Sky.“
In other news, Liverpool told new Wolves stance on accepting Ruben Neves bid after “£100m” reveal.