According to the NFL, 70 percent of fans use a second screen while watching football. It’s easy to understand why: mobile devices—and the apps that run on them—give us easy access to player stats and analysis, provide interactive features to supplement the big-screen experience, and offer a convenient way to communicate with other fans watching the game.
We’ve rounded up five of the best second-screen apps to enhance your football viewing. Take them for a spin when the season kicks off Thursday, September 5, and we’re sure you’ll be reaching for them along with your remote every week until the end of Super Bowl LIV.
NFL Mobile
Michael Ansaldo / IDG
The NFL Mobile app puts the spotlight on your favoite club with its team tab.
The league’s flagship app, NFL Mobile gives you everything you’d expect: news, real-time scoring, video highlights, radio broadcasts, customizable team alerts, and push notifications, plus live streaming of the NFL Network (you’ll need a cable login for access). You also get access to Game Pass, the league’s on-demand video subscription service.
If you’re willing to pay $100 and don’t mind watching games after they’ve aired, you can replay any of the season’s 256 match-ups on your mobile device.
One of the app’s best features is its team tab, which provides game schedules, scores, rankings, statistical leaders, ticket sales, real-time news, and social media feeds for your favorite club.
(iOS, Android)
ESPN Fantasy Sports
If you’re an ESPN fantasy football owner, you have more than bragging rights on the line with each game. The ESPN Fantasy app provides every tool you need to stay on top of your squad all season long.
This free app gives you full access to your ESPN fantasy team, letting you start, bench, add, drop, trade, and waive players and otherwise manage your roster in the lead-up to game day. It also provides the most comprehensive collection of stats and analysis you’ll find outside of an NFL war room.
ESPN
ESPN’s Fantasy Sports app gives you everything you need to manage your team all season long.
While you’re glued to the tube during games, Fantasycast keeps you updated on all your fantasy players’ scoring in real time, while push notifications alert you to injuries, trades, and other player news.
Even if you’ve never stepped foot on a football field, this app could make you the Bill Belichick of your office league.
(iOS, Android)
NFL Fantasy
Michael Ansaldo / IDG
The NFL’s official fantasy football app gives you everything you need to mangage your team and trash-talk opponents on game day.
If you want to keep your fantasy focus strictly on football, check out the league’s official fantasy app. It puts everything you need to manage your NFL fantasy team right in the palm of your hand.
Draft from anywhere, then make week-to-week adjustments with the help of live scoring, expert analysis, and news and stats straight from the NFL. You’ll also get video highlights of all your team’s key plays. Keep the chat feature handy to talk trash to your opponents while you’re watching the real-life games.
(iOS, Android)
Fancred
Fancred
Fancred lets you show off your team spirit to other passionate fans during the game.
From the Washington Redskins’ Hogettes to the denizens of the Oakland Raiders’ Black Hole, football fans have unique ways of showing their devotion to their team. FanCred is a free app that helps you harness that passion and share it with other fans.
FanCred is a social network that works like any other, but because it’s designed for sports fans, your followers are genuinely interested in your check-ins to Soldier Field and your latest fantasy football trades.
Create a profile and select your favorite team and you’ll receive a feed containing news, scores, and comments from other fans. If the prospect of socializing with your sports tribe isn’t enough, you can even play broadcaster by posting Periscope-style streams from your sofa or the stadium.
This network is not for lurkers: You’ll also receive a FanCred Score, ranking you from 1 to 100 based on how much you post and interact with other users, so make sure you get in the game.
(iOS and Android)
The Score
Score Media Ventures
The Score will help you stay current with all the events impacting your favorite player or team.
The fast and furious nature of the NFL means both your real and fantasy team’s fortunes can turn on a single play. Your star wide receiver is a Rookie of the Year candidate this morning, and on injured reserve this afternoon. The Score brings you all he up-to-the-second info you need to make it through the season no matter what your rooting interest.
True to its name, the app keeps you apprised of past and currents scores on its event calendar. Detailed game reports provide stats, scoring summaries, and news recaps. You can even customize a feed of easily shareable content from around the social web. Follow your favorite team, individual players, or the entire league!(iOS and Android)