Starting in 2022, football may have a new home on Sundays, and according to a new report from The Information, Apple is interested in assuming the rights to the NFL's Sunday Ticket package when its current deal with DirecTV ends next year when its current deal with DirecTV expires next year.

NFL Sunday Ticket would be an important way for Apple to promote its Apple TV Plus subscription. Until now, the service has relied on Apple's own original content, such as Ted Lasso, Mythic Quest, and The Morning Show. Live sports can help attract a known audience that these established shows cannot necessarily reach, and in many ways is less of a gamble than commissioning something entirely new.

The Sunday Ticket package is a subscription service that offers live streaming of all NFL games not yet televised by local affiliates. The rights are currently owned by DirecTV, and were a key incentive for the company's merger with AT&T several years ago, but The Information claims that Sunday Ticket has actually lost business recently and is unlikely to be renewed.

That is not to say that Apple's solo run is obvious. The report stresses that both Disney's ESPN and Amazon's Prime Video are keen to get the rights to more football games.

The report suggests that Apple is not a serious contender for the rights, but there are reasons not to rule out the company - and not just because it has wealth that most companies can only dream of.

The report highlights the hiring of James DeLorenzo as head of the sports division of Apple TV Plus in 2020. Previously with Amazon, DeLorenzo was responsible for the live NFL games currently broadcast on Prime Video.

Whether it's the NFL or something else, Apple wants to make TV Plus as attractive as possible. While many will be convinced to continue paying $4.99 per month thanks to the current catalog, others may wonder if they could spend their streaming money more elsewhere.

The Apple TV Plus deal with the NFL may be pivotal in attracting those who are cold feet about the current Apple TV Plus, which has few sports. And it would put pressure on all competitors.