Apple remains a good fit to acquire a stake in ESPN, as the tech company “obviously has that distribution and marketing power” and “sees sports as a way to fuel subscriptions to its streaming platform,” according to Dylan Byers of PUCK.news. Sources said that the partnership is “definitely a possibility, but doubtful.” But a source added Apple has “generally not been aggressive in terms of M&A deals, at least in terms of high-valuation transactions.” The source also said that the company has “been passing on major opportunities -- NASCAR, NFL, college football, etcetera. They are slow when it comes to bold and decisive content decisions.” The source added the partnership “would be a good strategic move for them,” but the “window is now.” Byers noted if Apple “doesn’t want” ESPN, Disney CEO Bob Iger will “find that other strategic partner -- and fast” (PUCK.news, 8/18). After analyst Dan Ives told CNBC that Apple would be a “perfect fit” to acquire ESPN from the Walt Disney Co., he said he believed it is a “matter of when -- not if -- ESPN and Apple get together” (CNBC.com, 8/16).
OLD HABITS DIE HARD: In Boston, WBZ’s Michael Felger was discussing how he could watch Friday's Red Sox-Yankees game on Apple TV and said, “No one knows. Everybody’s just fumbling around … with their TVs and their apps.” Felger: “You’re not really sure what you’re paying for because you’ve probably lost a password and had to re-sign in or redo it and you’re probably going to get hit twice for it. You don’t even really know it and you try to sign in and you can’t do it. It’s like, ‘I just want to watch the Red Sox and the Yankees,’ and are you able. I don’t really know.” Felger said of streaming services, “I still don’t totally get it and it doesn’t help the consumer. … It’s not a better product.” Felger: “I’m still in this mode where I turn on the TV, I look at the guys and say, ‘What ballgame is on?’ And I go to that ballgame” (“Felger & Mazz,” WBZ-FM, 8/18).
