Is
Apple
getting ready to make a play for the lucrative sports betting market? That is the obvious question after the company on Wednesday unveiled Apple Sports, a stand-alone iPhone app that provides “real-time scores, stats and more.”
Among other things, the app prominently displays live betting odds for coming games. Apple said in response to a query from Barron’s that the betting-line information in the app is provided by
DraftKings.
Asked whether Apple might eventually add live betting to the app, the company said simply that it had “nothing to share today.”
The app is available now in the U.S., the U.K. and Canada.
“We created Apple Sports to give sports fans what they want—an app that delivers incredibly fast access to scores and stats,” Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, said in a statement. “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.”
The app currently offers scores from the NBA, NHL, MLS, and various soccer leagues, including Bundesliga (Germany), LaLiga (Spain), Liga MX (Mexico), Ligue 1 (France), Premier League (the U.K.) and Serie A (Italy), as wells as men’s and women’s college basketball.
Apple said it would add data from the MLB, NFL, NCAA football, NWSL, and WNBA starting with their coming seasons.
Notably missing from the coverage list are tennis, golf, and the Olympics, although the company said it would add more leagues over time.
The app is also lacking in any news coverage. Asked about that, Apple said it had nothing to share about adding broader sports coverage beyond game scores and standings. Apple continues to provide scores and more general sports news in the Apple News app.
Write to Eric J. Savitz at eric.savitz@barrons.com
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