Apple is reportedly in talks with the owners of golf's Open Championship to take over when NBC's license runs out in 2028, but other bids are in play.
Sports rights have become a battleground as streamers seek to take over from legacy media. Apple has had small successes in getting rights for MLS, MLB, and F1, but its ambitions go much further.
According to a report from The Guardian, Apple TV is in early discussions with the R&A about streaming rights for golf's Open Championship. NBC has the rights through 2028, but there is no guarantee they'll stay with NBC with a renewal.
Netflix and Amazon are also expected to make bids. Apple has lost out to other streamers on such bids after backing down when negotiators wouldn't meet their expectations.
Golf is a very popular sport in the United States and getting rights to the Open Championship would be yet another way to attract customers to its platforms. It isn't clear if Apple would charge for access, include it with Apple TV, or stream it for free.
Apple Services SVP Eddy Cue has said he's unhappy with how spread out sports streaming rights have become. It seems Apple is prioritizing rights to sporting events and series that can be wholly owned by the company, rather than partial rights.
It will be some time before the rights for golf are on the table, so expect to hear more about the potential bids in the meantime. NBC may end up keeping the rights past 2028 if a deal is made before then.
