According to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, the NFL's Sunday Ticket package will be all digital when the current contract with DirecTV ends in 2023. And the NFL seems to favor Apple over the other candidates.

CNBC reports that Goodell described Sunday Ticket as a "streaming product" going forward, suggesting that once it leaves AT&T's DirecTV, where it has been based for 27 years, everything will go digital. He explained, "I think it's best for our fans to have access to it on a digital platform."

As previously reported, Sunday Ticket (a subscription service that provides live coverage of all NFL games not broadcast by local affiliates) is not likely to be renewed by DirecTV. It currently costs $1 billion a year and is not a gamble - CNBC previously claimed that the price could increase to $2.5 billion a year.

At such a price, the number of companies that could realistically launch bids would be limited, but in the latest report, "a person familiar with the NFL's thinking" said that "several" tech companies have expressed interest.

Three companies are generally mentioned, each with the money to make such a move possible: Amazon, Apple, and Disney's ESPN; according to CNBC, Amazon was once the "leading candidate," but this latest report states that "among league officials, the NFL is rumored to want to eventually lure and acquire Apple."

That may seem counterintuitive, given that Apple does not currently offer any live sports streaming, whereas Amazon does. However, the company may see it as a new way to attract millions of iPhone and iPad shoppers each year.

Also, while NFL broadcasting rights may seem like an expensive gamble, it could still ultimately be cheaper than commissioning and filming original content that may or may not fail; the NFL's audience numbers are known, and it could be a safer bet; the company's own audience is known, and it could be a good bet that the NFL will be able to attract more viewers.

Wherever the destination, the NFL is reportedly considering other major changes to make Sunday Ticket more attractive to consumers. For example, they may give customers the option to purchase individual team games or allow streaming services to broadcast specific conferences.

We should soon have a better idea of what Sunday Ticket will look like in 2023. The league apparently hopes to have a new deal in place before the 2022 season begins.