NBA Game Time discontinues support for Windows Phone but endures on iOS and Android
It seems for every two steps forward Windows Phone takes it takes one step back. Although users see more official apps and even some unique exclusives, some companies just don't see the value in supporting the third largest smartphone. The NBA is the latest in the category, pulling support for their popular NBA Game Time application this week.
Heading to the Windows Phone Store users can find the app with a July 8th update. Nonetheless not only has the app not been updated for summer league, but the NBA left a little note claiming "The NBA GAME TIME APP on Windows Phone is currently no longer supported. Please visit m.NBA.com to learn more."
Looking into the situation more, we discovered that the iOS and Android apps were updated in June for summer league and are still being actively supported. In other words, this is not a general change in mobile strategy, but a purposeful snubbing of Windows Phone.
The NBA has had an app on Windows Phone since 2011, and it had a major update back in October 2013.
Windows Phone is gaining traction, but it is situations like these which keep it from hitting mainstream popularity, especially in the US where market share is low. Of course, we could always wish for a universal Windows/Windows Phone app from the NBA in the future. Hope springs eternal.
Thanks, @WhaHos, for the tip
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Daniel Rubino is the Editor-in-chief of Windows Central. He is also the head reviewer, podcast co-host, and analyst. He has been covering Microsoft since 2007, when this site was called WMExperts (and later Windows Phone Central). His interests include Windows, laptops, next-gen computing, and watches. He has been reviewing laptops since 2015 and is particularly fond of 2-in-1 convertibles, ARM processors, new form factors, and thin-and-light PCs. Before all this tech stuff, he worked on a Ph.D. in linguistics, watched people sleep (for medical purposes!), and ran the projectors at movie theaters because it was fun.