Apple has released Apple Sports version 4.5, which brings key stats into Live Activities during breaks in the action, according to Apple’s App Store release notes. The update for the free iPhone app arrived in mid-October and also adds five more soccer competitions, including English League One and League Two.
It is the second soccer expansion in less than a month. Version 4.4, dated September 23 on the App Store, added four leagues and tennis brackets.
What version 4.5 changes
Apple’s notes for the update are short and cover two things:
Don’t miss the best of The Mac Observer
Set us as a preferred source and our Apple reporting ranks higher in your Google Search results and Discover feed — one tap, no account changes.
- Live Activities: “New updates to Live Activities help you stay even closer to the game at a glance. Now you can see key stats during breaks in the action across leagues.”
- Soccer: Brazilian Serie B, English League One, English League Two, Norwegian Eliteserien and UEFA Nations League join the app.
The Live Activities change is the more useful of the two for most people. A Live Activity is the real-time scoreboard Apple Sports puts on your Lock Screen while a game you follow is on. With 4.5, the stoppages in a game now show key stats too, so a glance at your iPhone during a break tells you more than the score.
Apple says this works “across leagues,” so it is not a soccer-only feature. The release notes do not list which stats appear for each sport.
The five new soccer competitions
| Competition | Country or region |
|---|---|
| Brazilian Serie B | Brazil |
| English League One | England |
| English League Two | England |
| Norwegian Eliteserien | Norway |
| UEFA Nations League | Europe (national teams) |
Apple Sports already carried the EFL Championship and EFL Cup, so League One and League Two give fans of clubs further down the English pyramid scores in the same app. Brazilian Serie B sits below Brazilian Série A, which Apple added earlier in 2026.
The UEFA Nations League is the odd one out. It is a competition for European national teams, not clubs, so it gives the app something to show during international breaks.
How Apple Sports has grown since July
The 4.5 additions are part of a steady run of soccer updates since the World Cup ended. Here is what each release added, based on the App Store version history:
| Version | App Store date | Soccer added | Other changes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 4.2 | Jul 20 | Belgian Pro League, Danish Superliga, Dutch Eredivisie, Japanese J1 League, Polish Ekstraklasa, Scottish Premiership, Swiss Super League | Formations across most soccer leagues |
| 4.3 | Aug 17 | Austrian Bundesliga, English Women’s Super League, Greek Super League, Indian Super League, Saudi Pro League, Spanish Liga F, Turkish Süper Lig | None listed |
| 4.4 | Sep 23 | Australian A-League Men, Egyptian Premier League, Israeli Premier League, South African Premiership | Tennis draws with brackets |
| 4.5 | Mid-October | Brazilian Serie B, English League One, English League Two, Norwegian Eliteserien, UEFA Nations League | Key stats in Live Activities during breaks |
By our count, that is 23 soccer competitions added across four updates in about three months.
Version 4.4 also gave tennis fans more to follow. Apple says you can now follow tournament draws in real time, “with brackets for Grand Slams and 1000-level tournaments,” and see matchups and results for each round.
How to get stats in your Live Activities
Apple’s notes describe the stats as part of Live Activities, so the steps are the same ones you already use to get a game on your Lock Screen.
- Update Apple Sports from the App Store. Check the version history on the app’s page to confirm you have 4.5.
- Follow a team, league or tournament in the app. Apple says following a team enables Live Activities on your iPhone Lock Screen or Apple Watch.
- You can also follow an upcoming event before it starts. Apple added that option in version 3.4, and the Live Activity appears on your Lock Screen when the event kicks off.
- Wait for a break in play, and the Live Activity shows key stats for the game.
In its May release, Apple says Live Activities require “compatible Apple devices running iOS 18 or later, and watchOS 11 or later.”
Requirements and availability
Apple Sports is free and, according to its App Store listing, works on all iPhone models running iOS 18 or later. The download is 111.6 MB.
Apple notes that “availability and features may vary by country or region.” In May, Apple said the app was available in more than 170 countries and regions after it expanded to more than 90 new markets ahead of the World Cup. We covered that launch in our story on Apple Sports reaching over 90 new countries.
You can read the full release notes on the Apple Sports page on the App Store.
