Sports | The VergeThe Verge is about technology and how it makes us feel. Founded in 2011, we offer our audience everything from breaking news to reviews to award-winning features and investigations, on our site, in video, and in podcasts.2026-07-30T11:49:40+00:00https://www.theverge.com/rss/sport/index.xmlhttps://platform.theverge.com/wp-content/uploads/sites/2/2025/01/verge-rss-large_80b47e.png?w=150&h=150&crop=1Jess Weatherbed<![CDATA[Spotify Running Mode helps match tunes to tempo]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9730022026-07-30T07:49:40-04:002026-07-30T09:00:00-04:00
An easier way to find the right beats for your BPM. | Image: Spotify
Spotify has introduced a new Running Mode feature that makes it easier to curate playlists around your workout goals, music tastes, and desired beats per minute (BPM). The aim is to help you "spend less time hunting for the right music and more time moving," according to Spotify's announcement, providing customizable running presets and optional coaching features.
Running Mode is an AI-powered experience that builds on personalization capabilities that were introduced with Prompted Playlists last year, with Spotify finding that fitness-based prompts have been some of the most popular uses for that feature. It requires a Premium subscription …
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Janko Roettgers<![CDATA[How the World Cup became a US streaming success story]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9567562026-06-25T11:24:55-04:002026-06-25T11:30:00-04:00
Guillermo Ochoa #13 of Mexico is tossed into the air by his teammates after the team's 3-0 victory in the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Czechia and Mexico at Mexico City Stadium on June 24, 2026 in Mexico City, Mexico. | Getty Images
This is Lowpass by Janko Roettgers, a newsletter on the ever-evolving intersection of tech and entertainment, syndicated just for The Verge subscribers once a week.
The 2026 World Cup is breaking streaming records around the world: Brazil's CazéTV YouTube livestream of that country's opening game against Morocco surpassed 12 million concurrent viewers, a new milestone for YouTube. The South Korea versus Czech Republic game was streamed by 3.86 million viewers in South Korea at its peak, doubling a previous record set by BTS. And the BBC clocked more than 600,000 concurrent streams during the France-Senegal match-up, making it the biggest-ev …
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Brad Bourque<![CDATA[How to watch most of the World Cup matches with free trials]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9488712026-06-12T15:40:02-04:002026-06-14T12:00:00-04:00
GUADALAJARA, MEXICO - JUNE 11: In-Beom Hwang #6 of Korea Republic scores his team's first goal past Matej Kovar #1 of Czechia during the FIFA World Cup 2026 Group A match between Korea Republic and Czechia at Guadalajara Stadium on June 11, 2026 in Guadalajara, Mexico. (Photo by Lars Baron/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Hoping to catch some World Cup matches while spending as little money as possible? You have a few options for finding a few days of free streaming, although you may choose to eventually pony up some money. That, or get creative by combining multiple offers to make it through the whole tournament.
We found a handful of streaming services that are showing all of the World Cup matches. Most of these free trials require you to be a new subscriber, though you might just be able to use a different email address than before.
FuboTV
All FuboTV plans can stream every World Cup match, and each includes a five-day free trial for new members. The least expensive plan is $9.99 for the first month after the trial period, then $19.99 per month after that. Paying for one month after the trial should cover you through all (or most) of the finals, and is likely the least expensive way to watch every match.
My Best Buy Plus and Total members can claim an extended 30-day free trial, as long as they’re new to FuboTV.
There’s a Peacock Premium Plus trial offer if you sign up using your Amazon account that will grant you seven days of free access before you’re charged $15.99 per month. I was able to access the offer on an Amazon account without Prime, but your mileage may vary.
We also found multiple ways to potentially claim free Peacock through other paid subscriptions. Some Xfinity Internet plans include Peacock Premium, which you can learn more about on the company’s support page. Walmart Plus members can claim either Peacock Premium or Paramount Plus Essential, but only one at a time, with a 90-day cooldown between switching.
New YouTube TV subscribers can access a 10-day trial for the Sports plan, which includes Fox and 35 other networks. After the trial, the membership will renew for $54.99 per month for the first year, a $10 per month discount from the normal membership.
The Fox One streaming service includes World Cup matches, and new subscribers can access a three-day free trial when signing up. After that, the plan costs $19.99 per month to continue watching, and includes both live and on-demand content from Fox.
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Andrew Webster<![CDATA[With the World Cup looming, there’s still no clear replacement for sports Twitter]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9479562026-06-11T10:10:59-04:002026-06-11T10:30:00-04:00
Jayden Nelson of Canada celebrates 2-0 during the International Friendly match between Canada v Uzbekistan at the Commonwealth Stadium on June 1, 2026, in Edmonton Canada. | Photo by Dale MacMillan/Soccrates/Getty Images
There were a lot of problems with Twitter even when it was at its most popular, but it also introduced a new kind of live experience for many. Its real-time nature and huge au …
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Terrence O’Brien<![CDATA[82-0 is the best basketball game, to hell with NBA 2K]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9449752026-07-28T13:15:35-04:002026-06-06T10:30:00-04:00
Can you go undefeated? | Screenshot: The Verge
82-0 marries the stat nerd fun of fantasy basketball with instant gratification and a bit of dumb luck. The goal is to draft a team of players that could (theoretically) have a perfect 82-0 season.
Obviously, if you just had free rein to pick whoever you wanted from throughout history, there would be little challenge. The twist is that the site randomly selects a team and an era, and then you pick a single player. So, for example, if you pulled the Knicks and 2020s, you might pick Jalen Brunson as your point guard, then you'd get a new team and era to select your center from.
You can reshuffle the team once, and the era once, if you don' …
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Victoria Song<![CDATA[Roids were all the rage at the Enhanced Games]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9376202026-07-28T13:15:57-04:002026-05-27T15:08:31-04:00
Cody Miller just after winning $250,000 at the Enhanced Games.
In Las Vegas, the blazing sun beats down on a makeshift Olympic-length pool. Cody Miller stands on the starting block of lane one. His arms are raised in victory. MC Hammer's "U Can't Touch This" thumps over the loudspeakers as he rips off his swimming cap, throwing it to the ground. Miller lets out a guttural scream, muscles and veins bulging. He's just won the men's 50m breaststroke at the inaugural Enhanced Games. Miller's wallet is $250,000 fatter than it was 26.55 seconds ago - a new personal best time for the two-time Olympic medalist.
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Emma Roth<![CDATA[Players from the NBA, NFL, and MLB call for a ban on betting ‘unders’]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9222442026-05-01T12:57:27-04:002026-05-01T12:57:27-04:00
The unions backing professional NBA, NFL, MLB, NHL, and MLS players are calling on the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to ban prediction market platforms from allowing users to bet on a player's underperformance or injury, Sports Business Journal reports. In their letter, the unions cite the need for "appropriate regulations" to protect athletes and their families from "abusive and harassing behavior."
The unions wrote the letter in response to the CFTC's request for comment on the regulation of prediction markets, such as those operated by Kalshi and Polymarket. In addition to asking for a ban on "under" bets, the unions also w …
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Thomas Ricker<![CDATA[A sleek, wearable airbag for cyclists is nearly here]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9115402026-04-14T06:04:52-04:002026-04-14T05:58:51-04:00
The lightweight Airbag deploys in just milliseconds after detecting a crash. | Image: Van Rysel
What you're looking at is a new airbag system integrated directly into a "race-ready" skinsuit, not bolted on like other solutions. It was developed for road cyclists by Van Rysel, with the help of airbag technology specialist In&motion. It's currently being tested on pro riders ahead of a general consumer release sometime "within the next two years."
Its development comes after the UCI, pro cycling's governing body, put out a call in February seeking gear that could help protect riders traveling faster than ever.
The current version is in final validation ahead of potential race deployment. It has a total weight of about 700 grams (500 gr …
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Emma Roth<![CDATA[Fubo’s mobile app is pushing more sports highlights]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9091182026-04-09T11:15:38-04:002026-04-09T11:00:00-04:00
Fubo is rolling out a big mobile app update today that adds a bunch of new features, including short-form videos with news about your favorite teams and leagues. You'll also find a carousel of live video as soon as you open the app, allowing you to preview games before you tap into them.
The live TV streaming service is expanding a feature called Team Channels, which uses AI to create a playlist of bite-sized clips from a game that you've recorded. But Fubo is expanding this feature to more leagues (though the company doesn't say which ones), while its AI system can now pick up on more kinds of key moments to include in its playlist.
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Terrence O’Brien<![CDATA[The ABS Challenge System is exposing the worst umpire in baseball]]>https://www.theverge.com/?p=9061512026-04-03T09:25:18-04:002026-04-02T15:50:41-04:00
Home plate umpire CB Bucknor looks on during the third inning of the game between the San Diego Padres and the Boston Red Sox at Petco Park on August 9, 2025, in San Diego, California. | Orlando Ramirez/Getty Images
During Wednesday's game between the Tampa Bay Rays and the Milwaukee Brewers, umpire CB Bucknor took a foul ball to the mask and had to be helped off the field. It was the cap to what has been a particularly bad week for one of the most controversial umpires in baseball.
It started with perhaps the best example of how MLB's Automated Ball-Strike (ABS) Challenge System can inject drama in baseball. This is the first year for the new robot umpire, which allows hitters, catchers, and pitchers to challenge balls and strikes for the first time. Each team starts a game with two challenges. But they only lose a challenge if it's unsuccessful, so p …
