ESPN is not shy about anything, including jumping into the iPhone app business. Despite its over-exposure, the company typically develops very polished products like the new ESPN Radio app that are worth your time and money.
While there are cheaper apps that offer more stations, the $2.99 ESPN Radio still manages to provide a unique experience that sports fans will absolutely love.
The app has a plethora of content including 16 ESPN stations, regular SportsCenter updates, weekly college football broadcasts and – coolest of all – a PodCenter. The PodCenter feature gives you instant access to podcasts such as the B.S. Report and Pardon the Interruption, as well as the Best of Mike of Mike and other popular radio shows in case you missed them the first time around.
ESPN Radio also includes some fantastic interactive features. You can send texts to stations from within the app, which allows you to open your stream in Safari so you can listen to the broadcast in the background without the app open.You will also find the ESPN ticker that is present in all of the company’s apps. But instead of linking to a story that will open outside in Safari, you can simply tap or drag the headline and the full story opens within the app.
As much as ESPN television can drive me nuts, apps like this restore my faith in the company. The only negative I can think of is that not all of ESPN’s local stations are included. Still, there is plenty to listen to for even the most voracious of sports fans.
Long story short, ESPN completely nailed it with ESPN Radio. This is a five-star app that will send all other radio apps home crying to their mother (or publisher, however you want to look at it).
