Updated Apple TV

M.G. Siegler made some good points today:

Buried today in the iOS 4.3 release is an unmentioned, but very interesting update for the Apple TV: access to both MLB.tv and NBA League Pass. Yes, the live sports are coming to the Apple TV!

That definitely caught my attention. Not because I’m an NBA or MLB fan, but because it could mean we’re close to seeing the NFL be available without having to pay for several tiers of cable or satellite TV. The moment that happens, I’ll give the Apple TV a real hard look.

But where Siegler is confident:

The one element still missing from these boxes is the crown jewel: NFL content. The moment NFL Sunday Ticket launches on one of these boxes — and eventually, it will — you’ll hear screams of pure terror emanating from the headquarters of each of the cable companies.

I still can’t help but wonder that the NFL doesn’t want this to happen. Not yet at least.

The NFL has set the standard as the America’s favorite game and the league’s financial standing backs that up. And their biggest source of revenue is their deals with the big cable companies. Until that changes, I can’t see the NFL allowing viewers to access their content without going through CBS, Fox, etc.