Sports. It’s a funny old thing. Simple little games that involve a bit of skill. If you’re good at them, you can even make money playing them, and it’s good money at that.
But sport is so much more than that. Sport unites us, it’s a universal language. No matter where you’re from, everyone knows the rules and how to play. It breaks down language barriers, it can heal wounds and it can bring people together. Never more so now than ever before, and smartphone apps are part of the reason for that.
I’m an avid Liverpool fan. I have family who grew up in the city and around the area of Anfield. They soon moved to the other side of the mersey for work reasons and to find more affordable housing. But I’ve always been brought up to support the red side of Merseyside. And no matter where I’ve been on holiday, whether it be Cape Verde, Croatia, Paris or Menorca, I’ve always worn my football shirt with pride, and instantly get recognised and queried by locals.
It shows you just how much of an impact sports can have around the world. I mean this team from Liverpool, has millions of fans across the globe, they follow everything and are just as up to date on the latest goings on with the club as I am reading local newspapers. But as they’re not local, they rely on applications on their smartphones to keep them up to date. But what are the apps people use the most?
Social Networks
The main two are Facebook and Twitter, with the likes of Instagram and YouTube thrown in there as well. All started off as websites that now all have their own respective applications. Making them more accessible than ever before. And it’s where a lot of people go to follow their favourite sports teams.
They can find the latest news and rumours, enter discussions and have debates with like minded people, and those whose opinions may differ. They can see behind the scene footage, watch highlights of matches and feel as close to the clubs they support as many of the locals who attend games week in and week out. Obviously nothing compares to going to see these teams in the flesh, and for many it’s just a dream. But thanks to social networks, people are now able to be closer to their clubs than ever before.
Betting
Now everyone likes to have a flutter, and most people can be loyal to a specific sportsbook company. But their apps are not just great for placing a bet here and there, they actually help fans keep updated too. For example, you can track stats and live scores with the OddsTrader app, so it’s not just there to help people find the best odds, you can actually use it to keep an eye on how your team is doing if you’re unable to watch them play.
Although, to top that, many sportsbooks will allow you to watch sports as well. Ok, so you’re not going to get PPV events or the big games on there, but they do showcase some sports. Take South American football for instance, many bookies actually allow you to watch games live, normally at the cost of a small bet. But surely it’s better to cough up 10 pennies than it is to pay the ludicrous prices that cable and satellite providers want you to play?
Official Club Apps
On top of all the third party apps that are out there that allow you to follow your teams, none are going to suit you better than the official club apps. After all, you can read all the rumours you want, but 90% of them are rubbish, and until your club has spoken, you’re best just thinking it’s not true until it’s official. And what better source to get your official news from than the officially licensed apps that clubs put out themselves?
As well as news, they’ll have all the stats on the club you’d want to see, have access to official merchandise and best of all, behind the scenes exclusive footage and interviews. There is literally no better place to keep tabs on your favourite teams. And because these apps are available worldwide, it means no matter if you’re in Australia or Zimbabwe, you can keep track of all the latest goings on from a quick tap of the screen on your phone.
What apps do you use?
So there you have it, some of the most common apps people use to follow their sports teams, and a prime example of how they’ve made sport more accessible for people around the world. But what do you use? Is there anything we’ve missed out? A hidden gem that you think people should know about? Let us know in the comments below and who knows, maybe we’ll update the list to include your suggestions.
