With iOS 16, Apple is digging its heels into the world of sports. No surprise really, after the reveal of SportsKit last year alongside the news that Apple hired the former top dogs from ESPN and Amazon Prime Video Sports. But what does it mean specifically for iPhone-toting sports fans?
Two things, really. One is an expanded “My Sports” section in Apple’s News app, which is customizable to help you track only the sports, leagues, athletes, and teams you’re interested in. You’ll get the latest stories, plus live scores and highlight reels for certain sports.
Open the News app to the Today view and scroll until you see the My Sports section. If this is your first time here, tap Get Started and then Turn On. You can then build up a roster of “smart topics” to follow. Tap the + button next to any sport you’re interested in, or tap the > button on a sport to dial in further and follow a specific league or team. You can also use the search bar at the top to quickly find what you’re looking for.
The choices you make here will also affect the sports content surfaced via Apple TV.
Second, Apple is adding Live Activity widgets to its redesigned Lock Screen. One of the most obvious uses for these widgets – which update in real-time – is for easy access to scores and play-by-play updates from matches you’re following.
These widgets can be added by long-pressing your Lock Screen and tapping Customize. Note this feature won’t be available at the launch of iOS 16, but is likely to arrive later in the year after some more beta testing from developers.