Google parent Alphabet in the running for NFL's rights

Apple Inc. AAPL is facing increased competition from Google parent Alphabet Inc. GOOG GOOGL over National Football League's last available TV rights.

What happened to the search for a company to replace DirecTV as the rights holder for the NFL Sunday Ticket? According to people familiar with the talks, the negotiations are likely to last a year, according to The New York Times.

Amazon.com AMZN and Walt Disney's DIS ESPN are also in the running.

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Why It's Important: YouTube's chief business officer Robert Kyncl has spearheaded Google's pursuit to get the rights. In 2013, he led Google's unsuccessful bid for Sunday Ticket.

The NFL aggressively pursued Apple earlier this year to bring it on board as a Sunday Ticket partner. The NFL had no significant business relationship with the iPhone maker at the time.

The urgency faded during the fall when the NFL struck a deal with Apple to make it the presenting sponsor of the Super Bowl halftime show, according to the report.

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