Apple likely to win Formula 1 broadcast rights
It appears Formula 1 racing programs will find a new home next year moving from ESPN to Apple, thanks to Apple winning the bidding war for the next broadcast rights agreement. Apple has offered a whopping $150m/year compared to the current $85m/year that ESPN is paying,
which is expiring after the current season. It is very unlikely ESPN will come close to Apple’s offer, so barring any late competitive bids, this deal is likely to happen. Apple already has a fruitful relationship with FI, as the "F1" film starring Brad Pitt finished No. 1 at the box office. It is also the third sports package that Apple has agreed to, joining MLB and MLS.
The Circana Take:
- Apple is positioning itself as a source of sports content while giving fans another reason to stay with the service.
- Streaming services continue to invest in sports broadcast rights, weakening linear TV’s grip on live sporting events.
Disney+ airs its first daily short-form news program
Disney+ is set to debut a new series called “What You Need to Know” July 21 on ABC News, its first original daily news program. It will air each weekday at 6am, and feature correspondents James Longman and Rachel Scott who will give viewers a recap of the latest breaking headlines and stories. The anchors will be at various locations needed including the White House and overseas to give the latest briefs. Each episode will be available on demand on Disney+ for 24 hours before featuring a new report. The show will be part of the 24-hour ABC News programming available on Disney+, which also includes Good Morning America, ABC World News Tonight, ABC News Live Prime and Nightline. Disney has been busy lately expanding content. Recently, the company announced it will launch a new DTC ESPN streaming service this fall which includes its linear TV programming.
The Circana Take:
- This move will help Disney widen its array of programming and help bolster its overall offering, making it more attractive for viewers. Notable, streaming services are shaping into mini-cable operators offering, live news, sports and on-demand entertainment programming.