The app, which is free and ad-free, is available to iPhone owners in the United States, United Kingdom and Canada.
Apple’s latest software release is an indication of the growing importance of sports to the company’s lucrative services. The iPhone maker is entering the second year of a 10-year deal to stream Major League Soccer games on Apple TV Plus and has the rights to stream certain MLB games. In the past, it has explored the possibility of acquiring broadcast rights to the NFL’s Sunday Ticket Package.
As usual for Apple, its new Sports app ties in neatly with other services. Once you’ve selected the teams and leagues to follow, you’ll start seeing relevant updates in the Sports section of Apple’s News app. And if Apple — or the streaming app you’ve connected to the Apple TV app — has the rights to broadcast the game you’re following, you’ll be able to quickly click live from the Sport app.
Apple said certain leagues — such as the WNBA, NCAA football and NFL — will be available to follow in the app when their seasons begin.
A quick, free latest results tool might be helpful for people tired of their existing options, but Apple’s first attempt at this type of app for sports fans comes with some interesting caveats.
In its current form, Apple’s Sports app doesn’t generate notifications or Live Activities — those persistent notifications that appear on iPhone lock screens to offer in-the-moment updates. You also don’t have the ability to place an Apple Sports widget on your iPhone’s home screen to help you passively track changes in the game.
Apple says it will continue to release new features and functionality. But these decisions are confusing because (for now) they essentially require you to open the app whenever you want updates.
Maybe that’s exactly the experience Apple wants you to have—one where you have to actively choose when to engage with this information. But it’s also possible that time pressure played a role in these decisions: Apple released the Sports app on the same day as the 2024 MLS season, which the company will exclusively broadcast. Apple declined to comment on the record.