Apple Inc.'s (NASDAQ:AAPL) senior vice president of services Eddy Cue says the explosion of sports streaming platforms has made watching live games too complicated and expensive.
Cue: It's Never Been Easier To Watch — Or Harder To Find
Speaking at the Autosport Business Exchange conference in New York on Wednesday, Apple's senior vice president of services said the modern sports landscape has become both a blessing and a burden for fans, reported Fortune.
"It's never been a better time, because, let's face it, every sport in the world is available in some fashion or another to watch—that wasn't the case not that many years back," Cue said.
"The problem though, is we all know we can all watch everything, but it's very hard to find. You have to sign up for 1,200 subscriptions around them."
He added that travel restrictions make it even worse. "If you're traveling, you're screwed… It's not a great experience for customers."
Fragmentation Hurts Fans And Growth
Cue argued that streaming fragmentation — where sports leagues cut separate deals with multiple platforms — has eroded the viewing experience and risked alienating fans.
According to tech research firm InterDigital, sports streamers now pay an average of $88 per month, compared to $64 for non-sports viewers.
Cue warned that this model isn't sustainable.
"If we want people to watch games, and we want all of sports to grow, some of these things need to be fixed," he said.
He suggested leagues could work with media partners to create bundled subscriptions, eliminate blackout restrictions and enable multitasking streams showing multiple games across platforms.
Apple Rebrands TV+ Ahead Of ‘F1 The Movie' Release
Apple, which holds a 10-year global streaming deal with Major League Soccer, has avoided blackout policies altogether.
Apple's comments come as it rebrands its streaming service from Apple TV+ to Apple TV.
The rebranding comes just before the much-anticipated streaming debut of "F1 The Movie." Set to premiere on the newly renamed platform on Dec. 12, the film holds the title of Apple's highest-grossing release to date.
Starring Brad Pitt, "F1 The Movie" has earned $629 million globally, making it the most successful sports film in history.
According to Benzinga’s Edge Stock Rankings, Apple ranks in the 73rd percentile for Quality, highlighting its consistent performance and strength relative to competitors.
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Disclaimer: This content was partially produced with the help of AI tools and was reviewed and published by Benzinga editors.
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