20 best sports apps for 2020
These Sports Apps Know the Score
Owning a smartphone means never having to wonder who's winning the big game, how your fantasy team is doing or whether LeBron James just led the Lakers to another win while you went to the store. Sports apps put the latest news, schedules, and statistics just a tap away, accompanied with high-resolution pictures, podcasts and sometimes, even live-streamed video of the action. Here are the 20 best sports apps for every kind of fan. (Image Credit: Cunaplus/Shutterstock)
ESPN (Android, iOS: Free)
The oft-updated ESPN app (Android, iOS) brings users the latest and greatest sporting news and information worldwide. Whether you're looking for updated scoring information, breaking news for various teams and leagues, or professional analysis, the ESPN app has got your back. Users can easily customize a list of favorite teams, allowing the app to provide a personalized sports news experience for all the franchises and athletes you care about. You also can now subscribe to the $5-a-month ESPN+ service within the app, allowing you to stream films, live shows, and games straight to your device while also enjoying insider content from ESPN writers. (Currently, ESPN+ is included in a bundle that also throws in Disney Plus and Hulu for $12.99 a month.)
MORE: ESPN+ Review: Decent Sports Streaming, But No Cable Killer
Fox Sports Go (Android, iOS: Free)
If a game's not on ESPN, chances are it will be on Fox. And if it is, Fox Sports Go (Android, iOS) is the way to view that network's live sports coverage on the go. Highlights include Major League Baseball, college football and basketball and NFL games as part of Fox's Thursday night coverage. You'll also find video highlights and replays in the app. Just be aware that you'll need to sign in with your cable provider to stream live sports on Fox Sports Go.
The Athletic (Android, iOS: $9.99/month)
Die-hard sports fans looking for focused, no-guff coverage without being flooded by advertisements should check out The Athletic (Android, iOS), a subscription-based sports news website that's all about long-form, in-depth coverage by professional sports writers focused on a growing variety of US and Canadian markets. The Athletic's writers cover everything from the big national leagues like the NFL and NBA, to local and collegiate action. You can avail of a seven-day free trial to check things out, with monthly subscriptions starting at $9.99 per month.
CBS Sports (Android, iOS: Free)
CBS Sports (Android, iOS) offers personalized score updates, stats, news and analysis for your favorite sports teams and leagues. The app also provides live streaming for a variety of events, such as NCAA Basketball and the PGA Tour, as well as access to on-demand video of game highlights, expert analysis and original video programs. Users can also listen in on live broadcasts of CBS Sports Radio, as well as a dedicated video streaming channel, CBS Sports HQ.
theScore (Android, iOS: Free)
theScore (Android, iOS) shines in delivering up-to-the-second game updates and statistics, as well as breaking sports news. An event calendar lets you easily look up upcoming games, statistics for past matches, as well as the latest scores and most important plays. Game reports include detailed statistical breakdowns to warm the hearts of stat junkies, as well as play-by-play breakdowns. The app allows users to follow teams and individual players, giving you notifications of related news or big plays. Social features make stories, stats and game summaries easy to share with your friends and followers.
Yahoo Sports (Android, iOS: Free)
Yahoo rebranded Sportacular into the Yahoo Sports (Android, iOS) app, designed to sync across the website and mobile apps. The goal is to provide all the best and latest news, scores and statistics for your favorite sports. Particular standouts in the app are the extremely detailed player, team and game statistics. We also like the highly customizable notifications that alert you to game starts, scoring plays and close game situations.
Bleacher Report (Android, iOS: Free)
The Bleacher Report (Android, iOS) app shies away from the generalist approach of other sports news apps in exchange for a laser-like focus on your favorite team or franchise. Simply pick your favorites, and Team Stream delivers relevant, real-time notifications taken from numerous sources across the Web. You'll get scores, stories, pictures and videos featuring your chosen clubs. The app also serves up the latest breaking sports news from newspapers, blogs, websites and Bleacher Report, too.
Bleacher Report Live (Android, iOS: $9.99/month)
Bleacher Report is also branching out into live sports streaming with its Bleacher Report Live service (Android, iOS), offering up live video streams of games from a variety of sports and leagues, such as the NBA, NCAA, All Elite Wrestling and a number of international soccer leagues. (With parent company Turner Sports broadcasting UEFA Champions League matches, you'll find a lot of soccer on the app.) Users can flag their favorite leagues and teams to get notifications of upcoming events, and even if Bleacher Report Live doesn't have a stream, you can enter your location and TV provider so that the app can provide you with a list of local channels, apps, sites, radio channels, and sports bars where the game is airing. A monthly pass costs $9.99 — it's $30 for an NBA League Pass — with an annual subscription costing $80. You can also buy individual events on a pay-per-view basis.
365Scores (Android: Free)
365Scores takes a customizable, media-rich approach to getting the latest scores from the sporting world, with users able to follow their favorite teams (or even specific games), as the app provides live game and score notifications and video highlights. You'll also find related news, articles, online buzz, and schedules. The app covers some of the biggest sports and leagues, such as the NBA, NFL, MLS, and the UEFA Champions League, making it a nice addition to the sports junkie's app drawer.
LiveScore (Android, iOS: Free)
LiveScore has provided up-to-the-minute scores and standings since 1998, so it's a reliable old hand with a no-nonsense mobile app that gets you exactly what you're looking for. While the LiveScore mobile app (Android, iOS) might not be the flashiest around, it delivers the latest from the world of soccer, basketball, hockey, cricket or tennis, with match information, league standings, and the latest headlines and match highlights. Don't expect media-rich highlights, though for some, that's an upside.
Thuuz Sports (Android, iOS: Free)
Thuuz Sports (Android, iOS) makes sure you never miss your team's most exciting games, combining the ability to follow your favorite sports, teams, and players, with a clever system that tracks news and online buzz to create an excitement rating of 0 to 100 for upcoming games. Users can then easily look up game schedules and find out where they can watch the upcoming big game, whether on cable channels, streaming, or your nearest sports bar. In addition to the game scheduling, Thuuz also provides extras like personalized sports news, on-the-go alerts and fantasy sports tracking.
Yahoo Fantasy Sports (Android, iOS: Free)
The internet and mobile apps have been a great help to the growth of popularity of fantasy sports, and one of the best all-in-one apps out there is the Yahoo Fantasy Sports app (Android, iOS), which covers fantasy football, baseball, basketball and hockey. Players can create or join fantasy leagues, set up drafts, quickly set up team lineups and track scores and performance and check out analysis by Yahoo Sports and Rotoworld experts. In addition to custom leagues, users can participate in weekly and daily fantasy games with a chance to win real money.
StubHub (Android, iOS: Free)
Looking for tickets to the big game, or suddenly unable to make it? StubHub (Android, iOS) is an online service that allows users to buy and sell tickets to games, concerts and other nearby events, complete with a "FanProtect" guarantee. Users can look up game schedules, seat layouts, as well as follow their favorite sports teams or artists to get info about upcoming games and concerts.
MLS: Live Soccer Scores & News (Android, iOS: Free)
Once barely a blip on the American sporting landscape, soccer is quickly gaining popularity in the US, and if you're a devotee of the beautiful game, then you'll want to check out the official app of Major League Soccer. The MLS: Live Soccer Scores & News app (Android, iOS) brings you the latest news, live scores, match schedules, standings, and on-demand video highlights. In addition to the real-time stats and highlights, users can check out starting lineups, photos, and box scores for league matches, and personalized notifications allow you to follow your favorite teams so you'll never be out of the loop.
Forza Football (Android, iOS: Free)
If you want an all-in-one football app for sports news, match schedules and online community, then look no further than Forza Football (Android, iOS). It brings you up-to-the-minute match updates for your favorite teams on your Android or iOS device, as well as providing a forum for fan polls and opinions. Users can select their favorite teams and upcoming matches to receive notifications for goals and cards, as well as pre-match lineups, formations and other information. In addition to the live scores, users can participate in online polls on the performance of a team's squad, manager and chairman.
NBA (Android, iOS: Free)
The NBA's official mobile app (Android, iOS) provides a wealth of news and info for basketball all year round. The app provides users with access to live scores, game schedules, recap videos, team rosters and statistics, as well as customizable game notifications. Subscribing to NBA's League Pass lets you stream games live or on demand straight to your device (regional blackouts may apply), as well as watch classic matches and NBA TV, a 24-hour video channel of features, interviews, press conferences and other premium NBA content.
NFL (Android, iOS: Free)
If you're looking for the latest in pro football news, then the official NFL Mobile app (Android, iOS) is the app to get, with up-to-the-minute game updates and customizable team notifications. It's also the place to live stream games airing in your local market. Read breaking news, watch post-game video highlights and even manage your own fantasy football team from within the app. Users logging in from select cable providers can enjoy NFL Red Zone and NFL Network streaming.
MLB.com At Bat (Android, iOS: Free, in-app purchases)
The official MLB.com At Bat (Android, iOS) mobile app is your go-to source for the latest Major League Baseball news, game schedules, stats, standings and rosters, as well as selected videos and analysis. Users can follow their favorite teams for personalized notifications and news feeds. Premium unlocks provide users with live audio and game look-ins, access to the MLB.TV Game of the Day, in-game highlights, and a wealth of other features.
NHL (Android, iOS: Free, in-app purchases)
The NHL app (Android, iOS) delivers live scores and player stats for your favorite teams, as well as season schedules, game alerts, in-game and post-game highlight videos, as well as live game audio for every game. Users can also catch up on the latest news, analysis and schedules for their favorite teams, as well as receive customizable notifications. An NHL Premium subscription removes advertising and expanded streaming options, while a subscription to NHL TV provides extra stats and the ability to stream out of market games live or on demand.
NASCAR MOBILE (Android, iOS: Free)
Dive into the ongoing racing season with the NASCAR MOBILE app (Android, iOS), which provides race schedules, standings and even live race information for free. Users can check out leaderboards, listen to race radio, view in-car driver cameras and race highlights, and enjoy news and other video content. Premium subscribers get access to customizable leaderboards, driver and official audio, and the new Crew Chief feature that includes live real-time data for speed, RPM, throttle, estimated fuel, pit stop info, and even the GPS positions of the top ten drivers on track.
