Apple TV considers chasing British Open rights
Apple TV considers chasing British Open rights
The addition of the tournament would mark Apple TV’s first golf broadcasting deal.
Is Apple TV about to tee off its life as a golf broadcast partner? Having already inked deals — with varying levels of success — for Major League Baseball, Major League Soccer, and Formula 1, it appears that the streaming service is getting ready to throw its hat into the ring for arguably golf’s most prestigious tournaments. Per a new report, Apple TV has had talks about bidding for the Open Championship, known colloquially as The British Open.
Key Details:
- Give it a try: Apple TV is pondering a pursuit of American broadcast rights to the British Open.
- Coming up: The Open’s current media deal with NBC expires in 2028.
- On and off: If Apple TV gets the rights, the Open Championship would arrive just as MLS games are leaving.
As first reported by The Guardian, Apple TV has had preliminary discussions with the R&A, the governing body of The Open Championship formerly known as the Royal and Ancient Society, about making a formal bid on the tournament’s rights.
The formal tender process won’t take place until early 2027, but it appears that Apple is already making its intentions known. The British Open’s current American broadcasting deal with NBC remains in place until 2028, and the tournament is expected to draw strong interest from streamers once it expires. Netflix and Prime Video could also be major contenders for the Open Championship.
A source told The Guardian that Apple plans to continue searching for sports properties that are a good fit. That ambition comes despite the faltering of a major deal between Apple and Major League Soccer to stream 100% of that league’s games each season. Apple and MLS announced in November that deal would end in 2029, three years earlier than it was initially planned to.
The jury is still out on Apple's deal with Formula 1 to stream all Grand Prix events and other F1 coverage through 2030. The streamer also broadcasts a handful of MLB games every week during the season. But if Apple TV does get its hands on the British Open, it will welcome the tournament right around the same time that it says goodbye to MLS games.
Apple TV
Apple TV (formerly known as Apple TV+) is a subscription video streaming service for $14.99 per month, offering a growing slate of original series, films, documentaries, and specials. Unlike other platforms that combine licensed titles with originals, Apple TV is built entirely around exclusive programming, making it the home of critically acclaimed hits such as “Ted Lasso,” “Severance,” “The Morning Show,” and “Silo.” Its lineup continues to expand with award-winning dramas, comedies, family-friendly shows, and blockbuster original films like “CODA,” which won the Academy Award for Best Picture.