Apple is rumoured to be interested in bidding for the rights to broadcast live Premier League football matches.

The Daily Mail reported on Wednesday that the computer and media giant is considering entering the race for the billion-pound televised rights as a way to boost its Apple TV and iPad businesses.

The unsubstantiated rumour has not been confirmed or even acknowledged by Apple, and Mail reporter Charles Sale does not cite a specific source in his three-paragraph story.

However he does theorise that with an iTunes subscription service infrastructure "already in place" Apple could easily disrupt the market if it desired to bid for the rights to the 2013-16 seasons.

The reports have been widely reported around the web, with Appleinsider speculating that further rumours about Apple's attempts to sign streaming TV deals with content providers may be linked to the prospective interest in the Premier League rights.

Techradar said that search giant Google may also be interested - and that could make competition for the rights even more fierce.

Apple already offers users of its Apple TV device subscriptions to NBA basketball (US only), Major League Baseball and NHL hockey matches through dedicated apps.

It is also possible to already watch live Premier League games on iOS devices via the Sky Go mobile app.

Even so, exclusive Premier League games would likely atrract a lot of new users, which Apple might be looking to do if it launches an enhanced TV offering later this year - as has been widely rumoured.

The California-based company would have to hand over a serious chunk of change for the rights.

Sky paid £1.6bn for their current package of matches, and ESPN and Al Jazeera are said to be considering bids when the next tender goes out before the end of the 2011 season.

But with more than $80bn of cash in the bank, Apple does have the money - if it wants to spend it.