Apple Sports Launches in China App Store With Scores and Match Data, but No CSL or CBA
Apple Sports has launched in the mainland China App Store with scores, schedules and match data, but it lacks CSL and CBA coverage.
When users first open the app, they choose favorite teams and leagues. A team can be followed by tapping a star on its search result page, while a league requires opening the league page and tapping the star there. Followed items can be reordered, removed or added through the top-right menu and the Edit option. The report says following only a home team keeps the home screen manageable, while adding entire leagues can fill it with fixtures.
Apple Sports lists NBA, NFL, MLB, the five major European football leagues, the Champions League and Europa League, Japan's J.League and the Saudi Pro League, as well as Formula 1, tennis and PGA Tour events. The report says the Chinese Super League, the CBA and some lower-tier tennis events are absent. Apple's China product description and the US official app materials do not list the CSL or CBA, the report says, so their absence cannot be attributed directly to China-region restrictions.
The home screen separates recent results, today's games and upcoming fixtures. A match page offers postgame data, starting lineups and live standings depending on the sport. For football, lineups are displayed in formation graphics with goals, cards and substitutions marked. Tournament pages can show group standings and brackets; the report cites the Nations League and the US-Canada-Mexico World Cup as examples.
During matches, the home screen displays live scores and status, and users can swipe between ongoing games. Event feeds vary by sport: NFL and college football use a dynamic field-position display, while tennis can be followed point by point.
The app also supports widgets and Live Activities. Widgets can show scores and schedules for followed teams or a selected league and can be placed on the Home Screen, Today View or stacked. Live Activities can follow a single match or be enabled for a favorite team in settings. If they do not appear, users should check iPhone Settings, Apps, Sports and Live Activities, the report says. On iPhone models with Dynamic Island, a long press expands the Live Activity. Apple Watch can display these updates with watchOS 11 or later, though there is no watch version of the app. On Macs running macOS Tahoe 26 or later with iPhone Mirroring configured, scores can appear in the menu bar when Live Activities are allowed from the iPhone.
Availability and features may vary by country, region or device. The report says the China version lacks the overseas ability to jump from a score page to Apple TV, MLS Season Pass or ESPN for live streams; it also notes that iOS 27.2 brings Multiview to iPhone for F1, MLS and MLB, but such integration is largely unavailable in China without corresponding streaming rights. Betting odds are not available in all regions and can be turned off where supported, the report says. The app is free, but it does not cover every sport or league.