Apple's New Sports App for iPhone Focused on Simplicity, Says Eddy Cue

Apple today released a new sports app for the iPhone that shows scores, stats, standings, upcoming games, betting odds, and more for a variety of leagues, such as the MLB, MLS, NBA, NHL, Premier League, and the NFL when its next season begins. For ongoing games, the app also displays real-time play-by-play information.

The app has a very basic interface with scoreboards, which you can personalize by following your favorite teams and leagues. Apple's services chief and noted sports enthusiast Eddy Cue said this simple design is intentional.

"We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want — an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats," said Cue, in Apple's press release announcing the app. "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."

Cue elaborated in an interview with Fast Company's Harry McCracken.

"We're not trying to have you spend 30 minutes on the app," said Cue. "You can spend five seconds to go look at the score, or you might spend 30 seconds, or you might spend three minutes going play-by-play because it's the end of the game. It's all about that. It's getting you in, giving you what you need, and doing it really quickly."

The Apple Sports app does not yet support Live Activities for viewing scores at a glance on the Lock Screen, or in the Dynamic Island on newer iPhones, but the Apple TV app offers this functionality for select leagues.

It remains to be seen how much the app will evolve in the future. Apple has pushed into live sports streaming over the past few years, including MLS Season Pass and MLB's Friday Night Baseball, and it is easy to envision the app becoming the ultimate hub for sports-related content. But for now, at least, Apple wants to keep things simple.

Apple Sports is available for free on the App Store in the U.S., the U.K., and Canada.