USA Today Sports Weekly for iPhone is primarily a tool for accessing the Sports Weekly print publication on mobile devices, but the app also allows readers to save and share content using Stream Web -- a means of clipping and distributing content. After spending a week with the app, I found that it delivers content effectively, but its interactive features need attention. Pricing ranges from $2.99 for a single issue to $38.99 for an annual subscription, but the digital magazine is free to print subscribers. The mobile magazine's interior is a duplication of the print version. What makes the experience different is an original, interactive cover and table of contents for, contextual links within articles and the integration of Stream Web for social sharing. Each line item in the app’s table of contents is linked to the corresponding magazine article via "content anchors." Pages can be viewed the old-fashioned way -- by swiping from page to page -- or by using the table of contents as their home base then tapping on a story, reading and returning. Rotating the iPhone from portrait to landscape view brings up a two-page spread, and users can pinch and zoom for better visibility. Contextual links are scattered throughout the publication, leading readers to more information on a particular topic. These can link elsewhere in the magazine or open content on USAToday.com via an in-app overlay. Stream Web allows users to clip pieces of content, resize and share. When content is selected for sharing, an app wheel slides into view offering the ability to share to Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, Tumblr, Evernote, Pinterest, SMS, e-mail, iPhone camera roll and/or Stream. Each user has a personal content Stream called My Stream. Content can be saved here for later, or added to a public Stream for sharing with others. USA Today Sports Weekly is powered by Maz Digital, the creator of Stream Web. It is an ad-supported free download with paid subscription tiers. The app is available on iOS, Android and Amazon. This review was conducted on an iPhone 5 version 7.1.1, with AT&T service.
NOTEWORTHY: The interactive table of contents is an excellent way to navigate the publication by cherry-picking stories. Social sharing within the app via Stream Web is also very convenient. For print subscribers moving to or supplementing their subscription with mobile, the app provides a nice way to digest the magazine. The experience is better suited for a larger screen, but renders just fine on the iPhone.
ROOM FOR IMPROVEMENT: There are no "moving parts" to this experience, such as those found in Wired Magazine's digital publication. Particularly disappointing is the lack of video. Many of the contextual links within stories lead to error screens, and there is no way of knowing where some links will lead before tapping. In these cases, it would be nice to see a story headline first. The app's Stream Web functionality is great for sharing to social media accounts, but the actual Stream feed is somewhat confusing. Twitter links reside next to writer bylines, but a separate log-in is required to follow them. Finally, advertising is static and print-like. There is room for creativity here.
BOTTOM LINE: For the most part, USA Today Sports Weekly succeeds in doing what it sets out to do: deliver print to mobile and promote content distribution. The most glaring omission is video, followed by interactive graphics and advertising. Linked pages are a step in the right direction for the magazine, but there is some tidying up and digitizing to be done to make the app sing.
Amie Sheridan (amie.sheridan31@gmail.com) is a freelance writer in Philadelphia.
See Sheridan's previous App Review submissions for THE DAILY:
