The 5 Best Sports Apps For Android Devices
Android users are in luck when it comes to tracking their favorite teams and players. The Google Play Store is brimming with options for avid sports fans of all types. Whether you're an NFL loyalist or a multi-sport fanatic that digs into even the most obscure competitions out there—think: The wild Florentine game of Calcio Storico—a few must-have apps should be high on your priority list.
The competitive sports world is a fast-changing environment, and avid viewers will want to download video and radio options to keep up with the action as it unfolds as well as news and analysis tools. This combination of sporting apps will help keep you up to date with all that's going on in training camp, the locker room, and on the field. Alongside a few key game improvement apps that can help you with your own sporting journey (like those used by golfers), these five sports apps are some of the best you can find for your Android phone.
ESPN (and the ESPN+ streaming subscription)
ESPN is a great place to begin when speaking of sports apps. The ESPN app is a comprehensive sports news arena that brings all things athletic competition straight to your handheld Android device. ESPN is one of the most trusted names in sports news coverage, and the app is equally powerful. ESPN generally covers the North American sports landscape, so it's likely not suitable for coverage of international sporting events like the global Formula 1 phenomenon or international soccer league play. Still, for coverage of major American sports, there's not much that can rival the sheer volume of analysis that ESPN brings to the table.
The ESPN+ streaming service brings live video to bear alongside the up-to-date scoring reports that come with the standard app's build. ESPN+ will cost you $4.99 per month but the standard news and analysis app version remains free to use. For avid fans of the primary sporting culture of the United States, the ESPN app is a must. It's also a fantastic resource for those involved in fantasy sports leagues because of its detailed coverage of trade rumors, injury reports, team strategy, and lineup changes.
Bleacher Report
Like ESPN and other mammoth sports news outlets, Bleacher Report is a crucial resource for anyone seeking to get up-to-date sporting news without hesitation. Bleacher Report covers all major American sports, of course, but the news outlet also provides comprehensive coverage of international soccer leagues, UFC, cricket, rugby, and many other competitive sports that some of the other big names in this space skip over.
Bleacher Report has been a mainstay in many sports fanatics' repertoires for years (having been founded in 2005). The outlet offers score updates, predictions, and rankings, as well as push notifications for the types of content that you demand at a moment's notice. Bleacher Report users can sync up the app with their fantasy sports accounts, as well, providing a seamless integration of news and updates surrounding the players you depend on to score those key points against your best-friends-turned-bitter-rivals! The outlet's customizable news feed sets it apart from many other sports news options that exist out there.
Flash Score
Flashscore is a live scoring app that every sports enthusiast should have installed on their Android phone. Flashscore covers 38 sports and thousands of international games, matches, and competitions. The developer claims that Flashscore offers "the most up-to-date live results, stats, news, and other info." In addition to live score updates, users gain access to standings and rankings tables, live text commentary, and recap and preview reports that accompany every game you'll tune into for stats.
Flashscore allows you to save your favorite teams and leagues as well. This allows for a streamlined update process that doesn't involve wading through mountains of unwanted information. You can also enable push notifications to get real-time news, even if you're unable to open the app and check on the game more comprehensively. Match data, pregame lineups, and head-to-head histories give bettors a more comprehensive understanding of the specifics of each competition as well. This can offer an advantage over the gut feeling that many rely on to pick winners on the day among friends or on their chosen sports betting outlet (where legally available).
TuneIn Radio
For that classic sports fanatic experience, there's simply nothing like a radio broadcast. TuneIn Radio is perhaps the best app an Android user can download to get their fill of sports radio. The application offers users 100,000 radio stations on demand and from locations around the world. This makes for a great option to listen in on sports from your home country if you live abroad, or for tracking with your favorite far-flung team. As an example, the Rugby World Cup will be held in France for the 2023 campaign, and with the U.S. team failing to make the cut this year, radio might be the best option for avid fans to tune in to follow their second favorite team on its quest for glory. Navigating to a local broadcast from Argentina, New Zealand, or Ireland can give you a hometown tilt to your coverage that your television options may not provide.
For listeners seeking more rounded experiences, the app also connects you with news radio, music channels, podcasts, and virtually any other broadcast you might want to listen to. This makes your Android phone an endlessly versatile entertainment hub that brings a unique angle to gatherings and solo listening alike.
YouTube
YouTube might be a bit of a curveball here, but the value that the video streaming service brings to sports fans of all persuasions is no joke! It's possible to catch live games across a variety of sports on YouTube, and archived games are often cataloged on the site as well. Thousands of MLB games across eras, for instance, can be found on This Is Where You Find Baseball's YouTube channel.
Moreover, YouTube offers a vast collection of content creators and commentators who can add a new wrinkle to the ways in which you experience your chosen game. From play breakdowns to discussions surrounding rule changes, trade rumors, and strategy for the future of your favorite franchise, YouTube channels offer an immense wealth of knowledge and entertainment. These additions extend far beyond the boundaries that enclose the pitch, field, or court and can drastically change the way you take in any sport that you watch regularly. On your Android device, linking your Google account is seamless, considering that both systems are owned by the giant.
As well, as an avid fan, you could even dabble in creating a YouTube channel of your own, adding to the conversation with your unique voice and perspective. Shooting video from your Android phone and uploading it directly to YouTube is quite simple, although, for more cinematic production, you'll want to spend some time editing the content before placing it live on the site.