Tech giant Apple has launched its first sports app, Apple Sports, featuring real-time scores, statistics, a user-friendly interface, and an option for live betting odds provided by DraftKings.
Designed for speed and simplicity, the app’s personalized experience puts users’ favorite leagues and teams front and center, a press release says. Apple Sports is available to download in the App Store in the US, the UK and Canada.
Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, 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 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.”
Users can customize their scoreboards on Apple Sports by following their favorite teams, tournaments, and leagues. They can also navigate between scores and upcoming games and explore play-by-play information, team stats, lineup details, and live betting odds, with an option to turn it off at any time.
Additionally, users can transition to the Apple TV app to watch live games via Apple and connected streaming services. Integration with other Apple platforms seeks to provide a cohesive user experience, with Apple Sports syncing with favorites selected within the My Sports feature in the Apple TV app and Apple News.
At launch, Apple Sports covers a range of leagues currently in season, including MLS, NBA, NCAA basketball (men’s and women’s), NHL, Bundesliga, LaLiga, Liga MX, Ligue 1, Premier League, and Serie A. Furthermore, Apple plans to incorporate additional leagues such as MLB, NFL, NCAAF, NWSL, and WNBA in the future to cater to a wider audience.
The odds integration agreement mirrors other partnerships that sports betting firms have forged to tap into platforms where users frequently check game scores. Earlier this month, BetMGM and social media platform X unveiled a collaboration to integrate the sportsbook’s odds into the social media platform.
ESPN’s app recently expanded its scores section to incorporate odds from ESPN Bet, after the media conglomerate struck a $2 billion deal with Penn Entertainment last summer. Penn CEO Jay Snowden has consistently emphasized the significance of presenting odds alongside game scores.