It's an exciting time for football (soccer) fans, as the Euro 2012 is well underway, leading up to the final match on July 1. There are a bunch of iOS apps available that can help you stay on top of the action on iPhone and iPad, but here are some of our favorites.
Official UEFA EURO 2012 app
If you're looking for the latest scores, might as well go right to the source, right? The Union of Eurpean Football Associations has cranked out a nicely-polished app with full information on upcoming matches, latest news, and team lineups. You can even buy access to video streams for $9.99 a match, or get a season pass for access to highlights for $9.99 as well. The UEFA Euro 2012 app also lets you set favorite teams so you can quickly access the latest info on your personal picks.
Sky Sports for iPad
If, on the other hand, you are willing to shell out for live streams to watch on your iPad, Sky Sport has you covered. With it, you'll be able to access all six Sky Sports channels live, a radio stream, scores, and news on a per-team basis. Existing Sky customers will be able to enjoy matches without having to pay out, and even if you're not, Sky is currently offering access for half off the usual rate. Just keep in mind that this is for folks in the UK; if you're in the U.S., you might want to check out ESPN's similar offer. (Update: A helpful commenter pointed out below that Sky doesn't have live broadcast rights. You'll have to go to BBC's mobile sports site if you want to catch Euro 2012 games live in the UK from your iPhone or iPad. Why they don't have an app is a little mind-boggling.)
Euro 2012 Radio
If you'd rather save a dime and some battery life by not streaming video of the matches, there's a great option for audio streams with Euro 2012 Radio. For a buck, you can catch the matches as they happen in Spanish and English broadcasts. A simple team list lets you find who's playing when, either through the alphebized list or a search bar at the top.
Bantr
Bantr offers a great social network where you can really get involved with the online community of Euro 2012 fans. In addition to cheering with the crowd (or talking smack) about games that are in progress, you can pick the teams you support, predict outcomes, vote on card penalties, rate players, pick your match favorites, and participate in a wide variety of polls. Despite some long-ish load times, the user interface is really nice,
BetFair
Want to put some money on the match? Betfair has created a dedicated betting app for the Euro 2012 finals, providing score updates, odds, and secure transactions. You can place Multiples bets via iPhone across a variety of markets, each with their own specific rules sets. Just remember, all good things in moderation, right?
If you're looking for more apps to keep track of scores, we've got some of our favorite soccer apps for iOS over here. How do you intend to be using your iPhone and iPad to follow the Euro 2012 action?
