Apple has launched a new app, Apple Sports, aimed at sports enthusiasts looking to follow real-time scores, player statistics, and updates about their favorite teams and leagues. The app will initially be available in the U.S., U.K., and Canada and will feature information from various soccer, basketball, and hockey leagues.
Apple intends to include additional leagues such as MLB, NFL, NCASF, NWSL, and WNBA in the future. This development further solidifies Apple’s investment in sports and subscriptions, offering competition to existing sports score aggregator apps in the App Store.
The Apple Sports app will offer users the ability to personalize their scoreboards to keep tabs on their preferred teams, leagues, and tournaments. The app will feature sections for detailed play-by-play information, team statistics, lineup specifics, and real-time betting odds. The betting odds will be supplied by DraftKings, however, as Apple has clarified, no revenue-sharing agreement exists because the app does not enable live betting. Users will have the option to disable the live betting odds feature in the settings.
While the Apple Sports app is free to use, it can direct users towards Apple’s various sports-related subscription services through the Apple TV app. This includes live games from Apple and other apps. Apple has been expanding into the sports sector in recent years, signifying deals like the 10-year streaming contract with Major League Baseball that started in 2023.
Moreover, Apple TV began offering the MLS Season Pass last year for either $14.99 per month or $99 per season.
Apple TV also provides a multiview feature allowing users to watch multiple sports events simultaneously. The services revenue of Apple reached a record $22.3 billion in the fourth quarter, including areas like Apple TV+, Apple Music, iCloud, the App Store, and advertising. While there are no official announcements yet, Apple might expand its Sports app with paid features in the future.
Additionally, Apple stated that the sports preferences of users, linked with their Apple ID, would be synced across other apps to personalize their experiences on platforms like Apple TV and Apple News. Users have the option to disable syncing. This data might also be utilized to enhance Apple’s personalized advertising.
The unveiling of Apple Sports coincides with the start of MLS’ 29th season and Lionel Messi’s first full season with MLS. Further, Apple TV+ subscribers can avail of a discounted rate for the MLS Season Pass at $12.99 per month or $79 per season.
Apple Sports supports English, French, and Spanish languages and needs iOS 17.2 or later for download and operation.
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