Whereas Bob Iger has mentioned that Disney doesn’t at present plan to spin ESPN off, the corporate is actively on the lookout for “strategic companions” that might assist with issues like distribution and content material. A brand new report from the New York Submit this week says that Apple is one in every of many firms reportedly “on the radar.”
The report doesn’t provide many specifics about Apple’s curiosity in partnering with Disney in some kind or style for ESPN. The report doesn’t make it clear whether or not Disney and Apple have broached the subject, or if Apple is simply one of many firms Disney with which Disney could be considering holding conversations.
Disney, nevertheless, is reportedly anticipating a strategic partnership for ESPN “to return from the tech world.” Alongside Apple, different firms talked about embrace Amazon, Google, Microsoft, Verizon, and T-Cell.
The report continues:
What one of many huge tech or cell firms may provide is improved distribution, which traditionally is how dominance in media is gained, relationship again to the primary days of the printing press.
That’s the reason the concept of being pre-loaded onto iPhones or different units to steer within the subsequent frontier of distribution is interesting to ESPN. Apple is understood to be very finickity in its negotiations, but when anybody may shut a cope with Apple, it might be Iger, who was on their board.
9to5Mac’s Take
I’d deal with this report with a wholesome dose of skepticism in the meanwhile. Any time Disney is seeking to workforce up with a tech firm, Apple is of course one of many firms whose identify will get tossed round fairly a bit for headline-grabbing tales. In any case, the’s a long-standing relationship and historical past between the 2 firms.
After all Disney the concept of ESPN being pre-loaded onto each iPhone is “interesting to ESPN.” That will be interesting to any firm. I might discover it very interesting if Apple wished to supply 9to5Mac pre-loaded on each iPhone. However that’s not the way it works.
As we noticed with NFL Sunday Ticket, nevertheless, Apple gained’t bend to the needs of different firms simply to ink offers for sports activities content material. One such holdup in any talks between Disney and Apple for ESPN would nearly actually be the corporate’s insistence that ESPN “stay accessible on cable tv.”
Whereas it’s actually attainable that ESPN and Apple find yourself inking some form of deal on this enviornment, I wouldn’t maintain my breath.
Nonetheless, Iger has made it clear that Disney desires to carry onto ESPN in some style and keep within the sports activities enterprise.
“We’re going to be open-minded… not essentially about spinning ESPN off however about on the lookout for strategic companions that may both assist us with distribution or content material,” Iger mentioned in an interview with Reuters earlier this month. “We wish to keep within the sports activities enterprise.”
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