(Credit: Apple)
Apple has updated its Sports app to include NFL and college football games ahead of the 2024 seasons, and teased a Live Activities integration with iOS 18.
Once the NFL season begins, users will be able to follow games inside the app with a new field-view tracker that shows where the ball is in play. There will also be play-by-play enhancements that offer quick access to scoring drives.
After iOS 18 and watchOS 11 launch next month, the Sports app will show Live Activities for all teams and leagues, for an at-a-glance view of scores on your device's lock screen. Currently, this functionality is only available while following sports like MLB and MLS using the Apple TV app; once iOS 18 rolls out, Live Activities will no longer be available in the Apple TV app.
The Sports app supports Apple's Sync My Sports feature so football leagues and teams you follow in Apple Sports will begin to populate across the different supported apps.
Apple also teased an upcoming "drop-down navigation for the main scorecard views [in Apple Sports], making it even faster to switch between My Leagues, My Teams, and users' feeds for favorited leagues." Plus, a "new enhanced search makes it easier to view matches for leagues fans do not currently follow.”
In February, when the Sports app first launched, Apple SVP of Services Eddy Cue pointed to speed as the app's main goal. "We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want—an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats," he said. As Six Colors reported at the time, Cue was a driving force behind the Sports app. "I just want to get the damn score of the game," he said.
The NFL season kicks off on Thursday, Sept. 5 with the Kansas City Chiefs playing the Baltimore Ravens. International fans should be aware, however, that the Sports app is currently only available in the US, the UK, and Canada.
Apple Sports supports the following leagues:
- NFL
- NCAAF
- MLS
- MLB
- NBA
- WNBA
- NCAA basketball (men’s and women’s)
- NHL
- NWSL
- Premier League
- Bundesliga
- LaLiga
- Liga MX
- Ligue 1
- Serie A