As if what it’s done with MLS Season Pass wasn’t proof enough that Apple is serious about sports, today we have another example. Enter Apple Sports, a new app for iPhone that aims to be the only app you’ll need for live sports scores, real-time stats, and more.
Apple Sports is available today in the U.S., Canada, and the U.K. Inside it you’ll find the likes of MLS, NBA, college basketball, Premier League, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Liga MX, Ligue 1, and Serie A — and that’s just for starters. We’re still in the offseason for sports like Major League Baseball, the NFL and college football, and the National Women’s Soccer League and WNBA, but you’ll see them all in Apple Sports once games begin.
Apple is putting a premium on speed and simplicity in this free app, which doesn’t include any advertising.
“We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want — an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of services, said in a press release. “Apple Sports is available for free in the App Store, and makes it easy for users to stay up to date with their favorite teams and leagues.”
There’s a fair amount of customization in Apple Sports. You can follow your favorite teams, entire leagues, or individual tournaments. And in addition to scores, you’ll find things like betting odds (you can turn these off, if you’d like), team stats, and lineups.
And Apple has added a button that’ll take you straight to the event in the TV app on your phone, which should then take you to the game on whatever service you have tied into the TV app.
The Apple Sports app also will sync with anything you have favorited on Apple News. So while Apple Sports may not completely replace other sports apps you have installed — not yet, anyway — it’s likely to find a prime spot on home screens pretty quickly.
