In a brand new GQ interview with Eddy Cue, the Apple exec shares his tackle the success of the Apple-MLS deal thus far and a few commentary on the way forward for Apple’s contribution to the sports activities trade.

Cue appears emboldened by the preliminary response to MLS Season Move and eager to capitalize on the momentum since Lionel Messi joined the league. You do get the sense although that Apple is on the hunt for one thing even greater, when the suitable deal comes round …

The interview reveals simply how a lot of a sports activities fan Cue is personally. Actually, at his house he has “9 televisions arrayed in a grid” to tune in to a number of sports activities without delay, together with a separate rating ticker show.

“I can’t say I used to be a rabid MLS fan,” Cue says of his opinion on the soccer league earlier than the chance for a partnership got here round. He didn’t assume the MLS was “sufficiently big,” hinting that Apple’s ambitions in sports activities streaming are removed from satiated. The corporate is rumored to be fascinated with bidding for NBA rights once they come up for renewal in 2025.

He says Apple invests so much in producing the most effective unscripted content material for Apple TV+ – and he sees sports activities as the best unscripted drama on the market.

Cue says Apple shouldn’t be fascinated with offers that yield a small slice of regional rights. Nonetheless, the MLS introduced Apple with a singular alternative – not only a bundle of rights, however rights to all video games worldwide for the complete league. The partnership kindled in 2021 when MLS fee Don Garber met Eddy Cue socially in Mexico. Months of negotiations later, Apple would strike its $2.5 billion take care of the MLS in June 2022.

Thus far, it appears Apple’s service is about matching the earlier demand for MLS on linear TV. Apple hasn’t shared subscriber or viewership numbers earlier than, however Cue says on this article that they had been “proper on the TV numbers or barely above” … notably previous to Messi’s arrival which gave the league an enormous enhance.

Cue is taking direct suggestions from MLS membership homeowners about the way to enhance the product. As an illustration, one proprietor urged that the Apple TV app incorporate a view of the league standings.

“One factor I’ve beloved is, I’ve had two homeowners which can be on textual content messages with me each Sunday, giving me suggestions,” Cue mentioned. Certainly one of them requested why the league standings didn’t seem on the Apple TV app. “And I’m like, oh my God, I can’t imagine we’re not doing that. That was final weekend, and it’ll be there this weekend. Look, that was a straightforward one we may do. Some issues are a bit more durable.”

On a private foundation, Cue jokes that the one factor he was smarter than Steve Jobs about was sports activities. Over time, Cue has been approached with varied alternatives to develop into a minor investor in sports activities groups. However he hasn’t been fascinated with simply being a silent shareholder, and he by no means had sufficient cash to have the ability to personal a staff wholly. However Cue’s ardour has discovered a good “higher” avenue by Apple’s growing foray into the sports activities trade.

You may learn the total interview on GQ’s web site.