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Sky and BT Sport's Revamped Apps and Mobile's Importance to Football
17 November 2020 - 15:22
While nothing will ever beat the excitement and atmosphere of watching football in a packed stadium, broadcasters like Sky Sports and BT Sport have gone out of their way to ensure that the TV experience is the next best thing.
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In recent weeks, both organisations have also taken a fresh look at their mobile offerings and made changes as they aim to provide more options and features to fans.
Exciting developments
Earlier this month, Sky Sports revealed that it has revamped its Football Score Centre app. Now known simply as Sky Sports Scores, the app has retained some existing features like free match highlights and goal alerts while also adding new ones.
For example, in an article on the changes, the Sky Sports site explained how users can personalise the homepage to follow their favourite sides and leagues. They can also highlight specific matches by pressing the star button. Furthermore, there are
free in-game clips from Premier League matches shown on Sky Sports, while the calendar function offers details of the entire season.
News of those changes has come shortly after BT Sport launched its 5G-enabled Match Day Experience for EE Full Works plan members using the iPhone 12. BusinessCloud.co.uk detailed how the service includes multi-cam replays, interactive timelines, and the chance for fans to watch the action from angles not usually seen in broadcasts. A new Manager Mode even lets users add extra graphics to coverage, including a map which tracks player positions and the names of individuals on the pitch.
A vital tool
It is intriguing to see both broadcasters take this step, and it could be said that their actions highlight just how vital mobile technology has become to the experience of football fans. Smartphones and tablets have transformed numerous elements as we look to learn as much as we can about teams and stars.
As the detail above shows, it is now common for many of us to watch matches and highlights on handheld devices, while several clubs also provide their own apps which offer news and updates. For example, the Manchester United site details how the club’s official app provides real-time match data for fans, regular quizzes, polls, and stickers.
Mobile services have also become integral to many of the activities that we do around our love of football. For instance, as SBO’s betting guide explains,
interest in mobile betting services has grown in recent years. The site adds that such services have become crucial for those who bet online and can particularly help people stay up-to-date on the latest action. Furthermore, they also allow fans to make in-play betting decisions easily and quickly. Another area which has been massively influenced by mobile is the world of fantasy football. The Google Play listing for the official Premier League app details how it includes a host of features related to the real-world football scene, while it also allows fans to fully manage their Fantasy Premier League side.
A big role to play
All in all, it is fair to say that mobile technology has clearly become crucial to the football fan experience these days. With this in mind, it could be said that the revamped services from both Sky Sports and BT Sport have come at a particularly good time.
It will be interesting to see how both services perform in the months ahead, as well as what other fresh mobile innovations might emerge to take the world of football by storm. Regardless of what happens on the pitch, it seems certain that mobile has a big role to play off it.
Written by Ketan Patel
