Apple is reportedly interested in buying ESPN: What effect does this have on the Pac-12 amid expansion plan?

Following months of negotiations for a new media deal, the Pac-12 was only able to reach an agreement with Apple. However, members of the conference believed the deal was not lucrative enough and eventually resulted in the continued mass exodus from the league.

The agreement was the first of its kind for Apple on the college sports landscape. The tech giant holds the ambition of disrupting the live sports broadcast industry, and the Pac-12 presented an opportunity for the company to kick-start its dream in the realm of college sports.

Despite the failure to land the Pac-12 deal, as well as the NFL Sunday Ticket earlier on, it appears Apple has a bigger ambition. According to industry experts, the tech giant is reportedly weighing the possibility of buying ESPN in a bid to dominate live sports broadcasting.

How does this elevate Apple in the industry?

Without a doubt, ESPN is a dominant player in the global live sports broadcast industry. The network is widely recognized as a leading sports media network, known for its extensive coverage of various sports events, live broadcasts, analysis and original programming.

A successful acquisition of the network by Apple will be a game-changer. Integrating ESPN's content and expertise could allow Apple to enhance its content offerings, attract a broader audience, have a wide sports coverage and maintain availability on multiple platforms.

ESPN's acquisition would also offer Apple an edge in the highly-competitive live sports broadcasting industry, where there are a good number of big players. It makes it pretty much easier and faster for the tech company to disrupt the existing landscape.

Apple's growth as a company has been highly reliant on its interconnected ecosystem, which encompasses hardware, software and services. The acquisition of ESPN adequately helps strengthen the engaging ecosystem, giving users more reason to stay within.

Will the acquisition affect the Pac-12?

The future of the Pac-12 in the college sports landscape remains uncertain. As it stands, the only lifeline available for the conference is an expansion move. However, not all the four remaining teams in the league are open to the idea.

Apple reportedly remains interested in the media rights of the conference, and this offers a boost to the expansion plan. The acquisition of ESPN could obviously make the Pac-12 more attractive than it is. Notably, teams are wary of the reach of Apple TV+ in college sports, but ESPN effectively eliminates that fear, ensuring a deal can be done.