MatchPint

MatchPint Review

by Michael Sawh on April 18, 2012

Being a football, rugby or cricket supporter these days can be an expensive business, so if you refuse to bow down to the hefty price of a match ticket or a Sky subscription, getting down the pub is your next best option. That’s never a straightforward affair mind you, especially if you have ever wandered into a pub where everyone is huddled around watching a re-run of last night’s episode of the Britain’s Got Talent instead of listening to Gary Neville’s astute football analysis.

The MatchPint iPhone app aims to help avoid such situations and do it all in the quickest and easiest way possible.

Following on from the MatchPint website which offers a similar pub-finder service, the app version is geared towards helping you find your desired televised event via Wi-Fi or 3G delivering a database of places that will tell you all you need to know before you have even stepped foot into the venue.

Thankfully this is an app which does everything with simplicity in mind. There’s just three sections to concern yourself with, one which is simply focused on choosing whether to login via Email or Facebook, the latter which will enable you to share your location and set favourite venues for quick access in the future.

In the Games section, you’ll find a list of the day’s key televised sporting events which includes football, rugby, cricket, boxing and Formula 1 and covers broadcasts outside the realms of Sky and ESPN. Once you’ve found what you are looking for, a selection of places in your area will be displayed.

At this point you’ll be able to see details about whether the pub or bar has HD or 3DTVs, how many screens are available and even if the sound is turned up. If you are planning a bite to eat, it will also give you a star rating on the food served before you regret spending big on a burger and chips.

Maps integration means when you hit the map app icon in the corner, the address will be marked out and in most cases there will be an image to help you find your way. Alternatively, if you are in unfamiliar surroundings, you can use the Places section where you can enter in the postcode or name and locate suitable venues.

While the app does appear to cover many locations across the UK, it is very much a London-centric app, providing the most comprehensive information for bars and pubs in the Capital but there is likely to be scope to expand this around the country which would be great.

We were impressed with the accuracy and speed that the app performs and the intuitive way information is presented throughout. Its closest App Store rival is the FootiePubs app and while it offers a similarly great service, MatchPint does the same thing but for free and covers a wide range of other sports.

The lack of better support for venues outside of London will disappoint some, but this is still an excellent, well designed app that should be on the iPhones of every sports fanatic who has ever desperately run from pub to pub looking for the perfect place to watch the game.

Buy this app: Download MatchPint iPhone app now