Apple announces more live sports providers coming soon to TV app

Apple on Wednesday announced that, starting this week, people in the US can use its TV app for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV to keep track of their favorite teams and games in real time.

“The TV app is a unified destination for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV users to discover and start watching their favorite shows, movies, and now, sports,” notes the company.

Participating launch providers include ESPN and the NBA.

These apps were developed in partnership between the NBA and Turner Sports, “with more to be added soon.” And starting tomorrow, Amazon Prime subscribers ($99 per year) in the US can enjoy “Thursday Night Football” on the TV app for iPhone, iPad and Apple TV.

The live sports feature requires iOS 11.2 for iPhone, iPad and iPod touch and tvOS 11.2 for the fourth-generation Apple TV and Apple TV 4K. The new section is US-only even though the TV app is available in five countries: US, Canada, Australia, Norway and Sweden.

If you live in the US, you can now follow your favorite teams in the TV app, which ensures those live games show up first in your Up Next queue. You can optionally elect to receive notifications when a game is about to start and when your favorite teams are in a close game.

As shown on the screenshot top of post, a new dedicated Sports tab at the bottom of the TV app lets you even see the teams, leagues and sporting events currently playing or coming up soon, along with the time remaining and current scores.

Keep in mind that live sports are subject to blackout.

“The Sports tab in the TV app makes it even easier for fans in the US to track the teams, games and moments that are important to them,” said Eddy Cue, Apple’s Senior Vice President of Internet Software and Services.

“With these exciting updates, plus our growing collection of 4K HDR movies on iTunes, we continue to deliver an unparalleled entertainment experience to Apple customers.”

tvOS 11.2 also lets you choose between having video converted to the best format your television can support or outputting the video in its original frame rate and dynamic range.