Apple touts its News pitch as the premier app for wherever news is available. However, I never found myself activating Apple News, instead turning to other trusted sources, including Google News. But an iOS 16 addition to the News app could be what makes me change my habits.
The add-on is called My Sports and it promises to deliver customized news on the teams, leagues and sports that matter most to you. Right now, I’m getting that information from many other apps, including ESPN’s messy mobile service. However, if iOS 16 News can produce a clearer, more informative presentation of sports news, then I may have a reason to launch Apple’s news service on a regular basis. than.
We won’t know for sure if My Sports is a hit or a spin and miss until the iOS 16 public beta launches next month. But based on Apple’s preview of iOS 16 features and what those who’ve downloaded the iOS 16 developer beta are saying, we have some idea of what’s coming to the News app. in an upcoming iPhone software update.
Here’s what’s changed in iOS 16’s News app with the addition of My Sports
iOS 16 News: What My Sports Brings
The current Apple News app already has sports content in it. When you’re customizing topics that interest you, you can select specific sports, teams, and related terms, and News will include stories related to those selections in the Today tab. its main now. Sports stories can be grouped together under a specific heading, but you often have to scroll through various titles and organized articles to get there.
My Sports promises a more self-contained experience, like the sports section of your local newspaper – or at least assuming your local newspaper still exists. You’ll still get articles of interest, but My Sports also includes scores, schedules, and video highlights of recent games. The feature will be available in the US, Canada, UK, and Australia initially.
Sports-related topics you’ve previously selected in News will inform what shows up in the My Sports section. But you’ll also be able to add more specific teams and sports to the mix. Supported leagues will include NFL, NBA, WNBA, MLB, NHL, MLS, NWSL, college football and basketball, English Premier League and UEFA Champions League. From there, you can choose specific teams like the Los Angles Chargers from the NFL, the Portland Thorns from the NWSL, Chelsea from English football and (assuming you’re a masochist) Oakland Athletics from Major League Baseball.
All of those select teams will have their own section of My Sports in iOS 16 News, at least when their sports are in season. For example, with baseball in vogue right now, the Oakland Athletics section will feature the latest team stories from a variety of sources, video highlights from recent games, scores from recent games, and more. Latest or live scores if match is in progress and schedule of upcoming games.
The transcript and schedule feature is particularly interesting, and not least because it’s a new addition to the News app, which has only focused on articles up to this point. Screenshots for the My Sports section include a “Watch on Apple TV” link next to the live matches, so you’ll probably be able to tap that and go to the TV app to watch the teams His favorite is playing. (You’ll need to be a subscriber to whatever channel or app is streaming the game, but it’s nice to see the News app direct you to live coverage of something that interests you.) .)
The links between News and the TV app don’t stop there in iOS 16. When you launch the TV app, you’ll find the teams’ games you’ve bookmarked in the News app highlighted in the News app. The Next and What to See sections of the Watch Now tab.
Like the current version of News, the iOS 16 version of the app will include both free articles and articles tied to Apple’s News Plus subscription service. You’ll need to be a News Plus subscriber to read the following stories, so Apple is clearly believing people’s interest in their favorite teams could spur a few extra subscriptions. 9.99/month for Apple News Plus if that means the teams you love more.
My Sports marks the biggest change for sports fans in iOS 16, but there are several more features coming to iPhones this fall via a software update that delivers up-to-date sports news. every minute.
As part of the iOS 16 lock screen overhaul – Apple now allows you to place widgets on the lock screen for easy access to information – there’s a new Live Widget ideal for updating sports scores. Right now, when you get notifications about sporting events, it’s a constant stream of distracting alerts. Live Widget changes that with a persistent widget at the bottom of your iPhone screen with an up-to-date scoreboard, giving you quick updates without having to unlock your phone.
Live Widgets for Sports will require app makers to take advantage of developer tools Apple released at this month’s Worldwide Developers Conference. But there’s still enough time between now and the full release of iOS 16 in the fall for those gadgets to become a reality later this year.
Both the Live Widgets and My Sports additions in iOS 16 tie into Apple’s renewed interest in introducing sports as part of its ecosystem. That includes weekly live streams of Major League Baseball games through Apple TV Plus as well as the company’s recent deal with Major League Soccer to stream MLS games. starting in 2023.
Sports fans have a craving for anything related to their favorite football team. Apparently, Apple has realized that and is adjusting its subscription service plans and device software accordingly. We’ll soon know if the new focus on sports will be paid to News in iOS 16.
