The deal is the culmination of a long effort by the NFL to expand its place with the halftime concert as a cultural moment.
What's the deal?
The Roger Goodell-led NFL, which long has been among the most conservative of major sports leagues, suddenly finds itself deep in business with big tech. Amazon is now a national media partner, and tech companies are among the bidders on a sliver of its media businesses, including its new subscription service, NFL+.
The latest tech team-up? In a deal that will see the Apple Music service become the official sponsor of the Super Bowl LVII halftime show, Apple replaced Pepsi after a decadelong run.
A source says that the NFL’s deals with Apple and Amazon are not related to Sunday Ticket or the NFL Media talks, which are being held separately. But they do send a message that the league is already beginning to think beyond 2033 (or 2029, if the league opts out of the deals). And for tech companies, which are desperately seeking to build on their advertising businesses and keep customers, it could be too appealing to pass up.
The bottom line:
Fox or NBC must recoup a major investment in NFL broadcast rights, however, tech giants such as Apple or Amazon turning a profit on live sports could be secondary to driving more e-commerce or product sales like selling iPhones or Prime subscriptions.
Read: Hollywood Reporter
Newsletter: 10/06/22 issue
Anthony Caponiti
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1 min read