As DirecTV prepares to end the exclusive NFL Sunday Ticket run that began nearly 30 years ago, three companies have staged a play to acquire the package in 2023.
CNBC.com’s Alex Sherman reports that Disney, Apple, and Amazon Bids submitted For off-market package. At this point, the three giants play waiting game.
The league is looking for a partner to pay at least $2 billion for a Sunday Ticket, possibly for a stake in NFL Media, the league’s intra-league television and Internet group. Mobile rights could also be part of the package, according to the report.
As Sherman explained, the fact that the league added NFL Media to the mix delayed the process. The three companies that submitted bids want things to be resolved sooner rather than later.
PFT previously indicated that the winning bidder for the Sunday Ticket package can then sell the rights to the satellite back to DirecTV. The Sherman Report echoes this idea. The challenge will be to strike the right balance between customers who should be expected to purchase the streaming-only Sunday Ticket product and those who are best served by satellite. Restaurants and bars remain a major issue in this specific aspect of the broader Sunday Ticket conversation.
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