In February 2024, Apple surprised everyone with the release of Apple Sports. This free-to-download app can be accessed by anyone through the App Store, but your iPhone must have iOS 17.2 (or later) installed. On top of this, only people living in the US, Canada, and UK can download the app, although Apple does have the intention to make it more widely available in the future.
What is the Apple Sports App?
Apple Sports is a free app that provides sports fans with:
✅ Live scores
✅ Updated stats
✅ Betting odds and more
Live scores and updated stats will come from all of the world’s major sports leagues, including the NFL, NBA, and Premier League. Whether you want to see your team’s upcoming fixtures or who the league’s top scorer is, the Apple Sports app allows you to check instantly.
The most interesting Apple Sports feature is (undoubtedly) betting odds. Apple is a company that has traditionally avoided releasing any gambling-related apps, so for them to make betting odds one of the main features of Apple Sports is quite surprising. However, you can’t place sports bets directly through the Apple Sports app. Instead, you’ll need to do this using a legit sportsbook.
Apple Sports also does not redirect users to sportsbooks. Therefore, sports fans must find sportsbooks themselves. Luckily, most gamblers are savvy, so they’ll use a promo code to claim a free sign-up offer when they find a sportsbook that they like.
Why Apple Sports Could Be the Next Big Thing
Many people are still surprised that it’s taken Apple this long to release a sports-related app. Now that it’s finally happened, it’s entirely possible that Apple Sports will become a central part of the sports world, as modern fans love to stay up-to-date with the latest stats, scores, and everything else in-between. Not to mention, there are almost 1.5 billion iPhone users around the world and the app is free, so it’s certainly going to get lots of attention.
Despite this, there are a couple of obstacles that Apple must overcome if it wants Apple Sports to truly become the fans go-to sports app. Obstacle number one is that Apple Sports doesn’t accept bets or redirect users to sports betting sites — it only provides live odds updates. This is a major drawback, as nearly 50% of sports fans like to place bets (YouGov). Obstacle number two is slightly simpler in the fact that many iPhone users already have one (or multiple) sports apps downloaded on their iPhones, such as Sky Sports Scores. Because Apple Sports isn’t offering anything new or innovative, it’s going to take a lot to convince existing users to make the switch, which is something that Apple must think carefully about.
Summary
Moving forward, if Apple Sports is to reach its full potential as a sports app, Apple should consider adding live in-app betting, streaming information, and match highlights. These factors alone would be enough to get millions of users interacting with Apple Sports on a daily basis, from NFL fans to Premier League fans. Until then, Apple Sports might struggle to get a strong market hold.
