Synonymous with innovation, Apple constantly aims to bring something new to its loyal and potential users. And this time the tech giant introduced Apple Sports, a free app that gives sports fans access to real-time scores, stats, and more. Designed for speed and simplicity, the app’s personalized experience puts users’ favourite leagues and teams front and center, featuring an easy-to-use interface.
Currently designed for iPhone users, Apple Sports is available to download for free in the App Store in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. The app has a fairly straightforward mission: be the fastest, easiest way to get the latest scores and stats about the teams and players you care about.
“It’s very simple, to solve a problem that I’ve had as a sports fan, which is how do you get scores and stats for live games?” says Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services. “And we’ve done this in a very clean, really easy to use, and most importantly, fast – meaning real-time [way].”
Also Read: Is Apple Exploring Foldable iPhones and iPads Amidst Stagnant Sales?
What To Watch
Apple says that its new Sports app can currently help keep users up to date on numerous leagues, including MLS, NBA, NCAA basketball, NHL, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Ligue 1, English Premier League and Serie A. Furthermore, the Cupertino-based tech giant said that many other prominent leagues will be available from there next season, including MLF, NFL, NCAAF, NWSL and WNBA.
Why Apple Sports
Talking about the new Sports app, new Sports app, Eddy Cue said, “We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want — an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats. Apple Sports makes it easy for users to stay up to date with their favorite teams and leagues.” He further notes that the new app will update “faster than TV in most cases” because most live events are broadcast with a delay.
Cue says that Apple has worked with a “huge number of providers” to get real-time, play-by-play data on ongoing games, sorting through all that information to make sure what the app presents is accurate and quick. The Apple Sports app enables users to customise their scoreboards to follow their favourite teams, leagues, and tournaments. They can easily switch between various sections, including team stats, lineup details, and live betting odds.
A report suggests that users have been able to access real-time scores since iOS 16 by moving around the Apple TV app or other third-party apps, such as MLB’s own app, which would also display live scores on a user’s lock screen or dynamic island, but Apple says the new method is “a simple and fast way to keep up with the teams and leagues you love”.
The new Apple Sports app also allows users to directly stream their favourite league by sending them to Apple TV Plus or or streaming service where they can watch the game live. Apple Sports will also seamlessly sync with favorites selected within the My Sports experience including in the Apple TV app and Apple News. Meanwhile, Apple CEO Tim Cook also shared his excitement about the new app via a post on X.
The new Apple Sports iPhone app makes following your favorite teams and leagues fast and simple. I can’t wait to use it during the 2024 @MLS Season, which kicks off tonight between Inter Miami CF and Real Salt Lake on #MLSSeasonPass! pic.twitter.com/ZwMApjyKv7
— Tim Cook (@tim_cook) February 21, 2024
What’s Missing
The launch of the dedicated sports app is Apple’s latest step into sports. But it has its drawbacks as of now. With a specific focus on scores and stats, Apple Sports will be, by design, missing several features that fans may have become accustomed to. There is no fantasy sports integration or a way to follow particular players, and the app isn’t incorporating news, highlights or social media chatter about ongoing games or the teams you follow. The company still has its Apple News app for some of that information.
How excited are you to try out this new Apple Sports app?
