Ahead of the NFL and college football (NCAAF) seasons, Apple announced new updates for its sports-focused app, including Live Activities for all leagues, a new “dynamic drive tracker” that visualizes where the ball is on the field, as well as support for play-by-play of football games.
Launched in February, Apple Sports is a free iOS app for sports fans that provides real-time updates, scores, and all the stats they need to stay up to date with the 15 most popular leagues, including NCAA basketball, MLS, MLB, NBA, WNBA, NHL, Premier League, and others.
Apple more recently added support for the NFL and NCAAF before the season starts.
The most notable new feature is Live Activities, which will arrive alongside iOS 18 and watchOS 11 this fall.
Live Activities on the Sports app gives users the ability to quickly glance at live scores on their lock screens while also never missing a play-by-play. Currently, fans get Live Activities for games through the Apple TV app. Once iOS 18 rolls out, these will automatically carry over to the Sports app.
The dynamic drive tracker is another helpful addition to the Sports app as it lets football fans easily follow along and see exactly where the ball is on the field at any time. Similar to other leagues, NFL and college football fans will also see betting odds, which update throughout the game.
Apple also improved live play-by-play to help football fans track all the action. This includes a filtered view specifically designed to highlight scoring drives, ensuring that fans never miss out on the most important moments of the game.
Additionally, the company announced that the Sports app will receive an update later this year, introducing a new drop-down navigation for the main scorecard views and enhanced search functionality. Apple also mentioned that more leagues will be added soon, starting with the Champions League and Europa League during the league phase in September.
Apple Sports is available in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada.