Analyst Dan Ives thinks the sports activities channel ESPN is the “good match” for Apple TV+, and predicts Apple will purchase the station within the subsequent six to 9 months, he stated on CNBC’s “Final Name” present.
ESPN is at the moment owned by The Walt Disney Firm. Nevertheless, there have been rumors that Disney might promote a few of its TV belongings because it struggles with wire reducing. This included promoting a part of ESPN to a associate. Disney can be purportedly in talks with the NFL, NBA, and MLB to have them take joint possession of ESPN together with Disney.
Such content material could possibly be a lift for Apple’s streaming service. Apple TV+ has about 50 million subscribers at this time, Ives estimates. The tech firm has by no means divulged numbers for the almost 4-year-old service.
“The large urge for food for reside sports activities content material stays the laser focus for Cupertino now to spice up its streaming future and additional faucet into its large put in base of two billion iOS units worldwide,” Ives wrote. “We consider the reply and the shoe that matches for Apple is the golden ESPN belongings which probably could also be on the desk in a single kind or one other as [Disney CEO Bob] Iger and the Board strategically and thoroughly take a look at Disney’s core belongings over the approaching months.”
