Apple is taking a larger shot at sports.
On Wednesday, the business unveiled Apple Sports, a free iPhone app that provides real-time scores, important data, and live betting chances.
At debut, customers will have access to live statistics from the NBA, NHL, and MLS, among other sports. The app, Apple's debut in the sports sector, is being released ahead of March Madness and will provide real-time data for both men's and women's NCAA basketball. Other leagues, such as the NFL and Major League Baseball, will be introduced gradually.
"We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want—an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats," said Eddy Cue, Apple's senior vice president of services, who supervises the program and was deeply engaged in its development.
The app, which will not include advertising when it launches, represents Apple's latest foray into the world of sports, a multibillion-dollar industry into which technology companies have recently entered, challenging the lucrative broadcast rights held by legacy media companies. It also has the potential to disrupt the mobile sports app sector, which has long been controlled by ESPN and other ad-supported applications.
In recent years, Apple has signed arrangements with numerous sports leagues, like the MLB and MLS, to stream games on its Apple TV+ streaming service. Amazon, a major competitor in the internet and streaming industries, has begun exclusively broadcasting "Thursday Night Football" and an NFL game on Black Friday.
While Apple Sports can notify users of where a game is being aired, it does not stream games directly within the app, instead directing them to the appropriate app to watch the action.
This article was originally published on CNN.