# 960 The Ref vs ESPN Chicago The clearest difference is update cadence: 960 The Ref at every 5 weeks against ESPN Chicago's every 10 months. 960 The Ref also leads on review sentiment (50% vs 41%). ESPN Chicago's advantage is ratings volume (3.4K vs 16) and rating (4.7 vs 4.4). On price, ads, in-app purchases and monetization model there is nothing between them. Both are free to download. Neither carries in-app purchases, so what you see is what you pay. ESPN Chicago holds the better App Store score, 4.7 against 4.4. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: ESPN Chicago has 3.4K ratings behind it against 16, so its average is the more settled of the two. Written reviews complicate that: 50% of 960 The Ref's written reviews are positive against 41% of ESPN Chicago's, so the app with the better star average is not the one people write more warmly about. 960 The Ref ships an update every 5 weeks, ESPN Chicago every 10 months. The most recent releases landed on June 22, 2026 and September 26, 2026 respectively. ## The numbers | Metric | 960 The Ref | ESPN Chicago | | --- | --- | --- | | Price | Free | Free | | Rating | [4.4 (16 ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/960-the-ref/id1483262774/reviews) | **[4.7 (3.4K ratings)](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espn-chicago/id1495104308/reviews)** | | Number of ratings | 16 | **3.4K** | | Positive reviews | **50.0% of reviews** | 40.9% of reviews | | In-app purchases | No | No | | Ads | Yes | Yes | | Update frequency | **Every 5 weeks** | Every 10 months | | Monetization | Ad-supported | Ad-supported | | Size | 56 MB | 26 MB | | Requires iOS | 16.6 | 16.6 | | Devices | iPhone, iPad | iPhone, iPad | | Age rating | 4+ | 12+ | | Developer | [Cox Media Group, Inc](https://appshunter.io/developer/365102482) | [GOOD KARMA BROADCASTING LLC](https://appshunter.io/developer/1445950552) | ## What reviewers say ### 960 The Ref [App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/960-the-ref/id1483262774) Listen live to a sports radio station for non-stop coverage of Georgia Bulldogs and Atlanta pro-team games. Stay updated with every touchdown, home run, slam dunk, and goal. **Highlights:** Live radio streaming, Coverage of Georgia Bulldogs, Coverage of Atlanta pro teams, Real-time game updates **Features:** macOS Compatibility **In-app purchases:** none ### ESPN Chicago [App page](https://appshunter.io/ios/app/espn-chicago/id1495104308) Stay connected with Chicago's vibrant sports scene. Engage in discussions and debates about local teams with popular hosts. Experience the pulse of one of the nation's most talked-about sports cities. **Highlights:** Live sports talk radio, Interactive host discussions, Debate latest team news, Chicago sports coverage, National sports stage updates **Features:** macOS Compatibility **In-app purchases:** none **What reviewers like** - 🎉 Entertaining content - 🌍 Listen anywhere - 📻 Great radio lineup - 🐻 Bears coverage **What reviewers complain about** - 🐛 App randomly turns on - ⏯️ Playback issues (pausing, rewinding) - 📢 Unwanted audio playback - 🔍 Navigation/UX problems - 🚫 Blackout issues for out-of-market users **Reported bugs** - App randomly activates and plays audio - Podcast episodes not playing in order - Content disappearing from the app - Buffering and connectivity issues **Requested features** - Podcast playback in chronological order - Pause and rewind functionality - Improved auto-play behavior ## Frequently asked questions ### Is 960 The Ref free? 960 The Ref is free to download, with no in-app purchases. ### Is ESPN Chicago free? ESPN Chicago is free to download, with no in-app purchases. ### Which has better reviews, 960 The Ref or ESPN Chicago? ESPN Chicago is rated higher. 960 The Ref averages 4.4 out of 5 from 16 ratings, while ESPN Chicago averages 4.7 from 3.4K ratings. ### Do 960 The Ref or ESPN Chicago have ads? Both 960 The Ref and ESPN Chicago show ads. ### Which is updated more often, 960 The Ref or ESPN Chicago? 960 The Ref ships an update every 5 weeks, and ESPN Chicago every 10 months. Most recently, 960 The Ref was updated on June 22, 2026 and ESPN Chicago on September 26, 2026. --- *Compared by [AppsHunter](https://appshunter.io/) from daily US App Store data. Review summaries are generated from verbatim App Store reviews.*