Source: Apple / apple
The sports app game has a new competitor as Apple has announced the launch of their Apple Sports app for iPhone users.
As millions have gotten accustomed to keeping up with the latest happenings in sports on their smartphones and other devices, Apple is now giving them another option with a brand-new application. On Wednesday (Feb. 21), the global technology brand announced the launch of Apple Sports, a new application for the iPhone. Apple Sports is now available for users in the United States and the United Kingdom as well as Canada. There is no expected date for a global release yet.
“We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want — an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats,” said Eddy Cue, the senior vice president of services for Apple. The app, which is free to download and install, gives users real-time access to game scores, team stats, betting odds and more data. The NBA, NHL, NCAA basketball, and the Premier League are supported within the app, as well as Major League Soccer, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Liga MX, Ligue 1 and Serie A. According to the press release, there will be support for the NFL, WNBA, Major League Baseball, the NWSL and NCAA college football for their upcoming seasons.
Apple Sports users will be able to have their team interests synced with their Apple ID and other apps to help personalize their Apple TV and Apple News experiences. This option can also be turned off. Users can also customize the scoreboards found in the app, get lineup details for teams, and switch to other information for games and other streaming services to check out their teams there. Concerning the betting odds, which are supplied by DraftKings, a representative for Apple said that the app doesn’t support live betting, however, and so there is no revenue-share agreement in place between the two companies.
The news comes as Major League Soccer is beginning another season. Through Apple TV, they offer a season pass at $14.99 per month and $99 for the whole season. They also began to show MLB games in a “Friday Night Baseball” package back in 2022, which was the core of its 10-year broadcasting deal with the league. The move is also sure to boost Apple’s Services division revenue, which came in at $22.3 billion in the fourth quarter of 2023.