Comparison

BlackBear TV vs BladeBuddy Edge Tracker

Price, ratings, monetisation and update history for both apps, side by side — with what reviewers say about each.

Head to head
About

BlackBear TV

Stream live and on-demand youth and scholastic hockey games from premier facilities across the United States. Access a central hub for games, leagues, and events, with advanced search and personalized content discovery.

Highlights
  • Live and upcoming game streaming
  • On-demand content library
  • Centralized home screen for games and events
  • Advanced search and customization
  • Favorites feature for preferred content
  • Intuitive video player controls
Read full description

Welcome to Black Bear TV, the official streaming network of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc. Starting September 16, 2024, experience seamless streaming of youth and scholastic hockey games from 38 premier Black Bear facilities across the United States. Black Bear TV is the official streaming network of Black Bear Sports Group, Inc., a privately held company formed by Murry Gunty and Blackstreet Capital Holdings, LLC in 2015 that seeks investments in sports and entertainment facilities, teams, and youth sports events. Black Bear TV services all of the Black Bear facilities across the United States in addition to certain non-Black Bear facilities. Black Bear TV uses industry-leading cutting-edge cameras and has fully integrated video production, breakdown, and analytics capability. Key Features: Home Screen: Quick access to games, leagues, rinks, and events in one central hub. Live and Upcoming: Stream live games and get notifications for upcoming matches. On-Demand Content: Browse and watch past games easily on-demand. Search and Customization: Use advanced search and admin tools for personalized discovery. Navigation: Smooth interface for effortless browsing between app sections. Login and Video Player Controls: Secure login with intuitive video controls like play/pause and rewind. Favorites Feature: Mark favorites to prioritize and highlight preferred content. Overall App Experience: User-focused design with versatile functionality for an engaging experience.

About

BladeBuddy Edge Tracker

Estimate your skate blade's edge condition, hollow, and remaining steel life by taking a photo. Track sharpening history, find local shops, and get personalized hollow recommendations. Designed for skaters who want to avoid guesswork.

Highlights
  • Photo-based blade condition estimate
  • Skate profile analysis
  • Sharpening logbook
  • Sharpening forecast
  • Find local sharpening shops
  • Hollow guide and setup quiz
Features
Read full description

Wondering if those skates need sharpening before the next game? Take a photo of the blade and get a plain-language estimate of edge condition, hollow and remaining steel life. BladeBuddy was built for hockey parents juggling two or three pairs of skates, and for adult rec, figure and goalie skaters who'd rather not guess. No account, no sign-in, no email required. BLADE SCANS Guided camera framing walks you through the shot, then gives an estimate of edge condition, hollow and remaining steel life. Profile scans compare the blade rocker against hockey, goalie and figure skate templates. Results are estimates to help you decide when to visit a shop, not measurements. A ROSTER FOR EVERY SKATER Add a profile for each skater, or for each blade set if you swap steel on one pair of skates. Store the skate and steel model, preferred hollow, profile and weight band. When you hand the skates over the counter, you know exactly what to ask for. SHARPENING LOGBOOK Record the date, shop, cost range and setup used, and rate the shops you try. Over time you'll see who does the job you like and what you're actually spending. SHARPENING FORECAST Enter a weekly skating schedule or log ice time. Hours count from the date of your last logged sharpening, even if you log it after the fact, and BladeBuddy estimates when the next sharpening is likely due, so you're not finding out mid-shift on a Saturday morning. FIND A SHOP Browse a map of rinks and pro shops that sharpen skates, including community listings added by other skaters. Travelling for a tournament? Find the nearest option before you go. HOLLOW GUIDE AND SETUP QUIZ Not sure whether you want 1/2" or 5/8"? A short quiz suggests a starting hollow based on skater weight, level and ice conditions, with a plain-spoken guide explaining what the numbers mean. PRIVACY FIRST No accounts. An anonymous install ID, optional analytics you can turn off, and one-tap data deletion whenever you want it gone. FREE AND PREMIUM Free includes 3 blade scans and 1 skater or blade set. The free scans are a one-time trial for the life of the install, not a monthly refill. Pro lifts both limits and adds scan history, the damage timeline and ice-hours trends. BladeBuddy Pro is $2.99 per week, $5.99 per month, or $49.99 per year, and the annual plan starts with a 7-day free trial. Subscriptions renew automatically until cancelled; cancel anytime in your App Store settings. The hollow quiz, the setup card and the shareable sharpening ticket stay free forever. IMPORTANT All scan results are estimates generated from photos. They are not precise measurements and are not a substitute for inspection by a qualified sharpener. Always have blades checked by a professional before use. Download BladeBuddy and stop guessing at the rink. https://7g7wfeht7sf6xtfyp4plk-web.rork.live/ https://7g7wfeht7sf6xtfyp4plk-web.rork.live/support https://7g7wfeht7sf6xtfyp4plk-web.rork.live/privacy https://7g7wfeht7sf6xtfyp4plk-web.rork.live/privacy-choices https://7g7wfeht7sf6xtfyp4plk-web.rork.live/terms

Screenshots

BlackBear TV4 screens
BladeBuddy Edge Tracker4 screens

Verdict

The call

The clearest difference is rating: BladeBuddy Edge Tracker at 5.0 against BlackBear TV's 1.3. BladeBuddy Edge Tracker also leads on ads (none vs shown) and update cadence (every 2 weeks vs monthly). BlackBear TV's advantage is in-app purchases (none vs 3) and ratings volume (13 vs 1). On price, device support and iOS requirement there is nothing between them.

Scored on Price · Rating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings · Update frequency · Ads · In-app purchases · Monetization · Best chart rank · Devices · Requires iOS

CostPrice · In-app purchases · Ads · Monetization

Both are free to download. BladeBuddy Edge Tracker sells 3 in-app purchases, starting at $2.99 per 7 days. BlackBear TV asks for nothing beyond the download.

ReceptionRating · Positive reviews · Number of ratings

BladeBuddy Edge Tracker holds the better App Store score, 5.0 against 1.3. That said, the two scores are not equally well evidenced: BlackBear TV has 13 ratings behind it against 1, so its average is the more settled of the two.

UpkeepUpdate frequency

BlackBear TV ships an update monthly, BladeBuddy Edge Tracker every 2 weeks. The most recent releases landed on October 20, 2026 and October 14, 2026 respectively.

Scorecard6 real differences · 4 level
BlackBear TV versus BladeBuddy Edge Tracker: the parameters behind the verdict, then further details
ParameterBlackBear TVBladeBuddy Edge Tracker
PriceFreeFree
Rating1.3 (13 ratings)5.0 (1 ratings) — better
Positive reviews7.0% of reviews—
Number of ratings13 — better1
Update frequencyMonthlyEvery 2 weeks — better
AdsYesNo — better
In-app purchasesNo — betterYes
MonetizationFree — betterFreemium
DevicesiPhone, iPad — betteriPhone
Requires iOS17.6 — better18.0
Further details — not scored
Size19 MB19 MB
Age rating4+4+
DeveloperVisaic Inc.No Permission Labs LLC

Customer experience

BlackBear TV

All ratings13 ratings
Positive7.7%
Neutral0.0%
Negative92.3%
Written reviews115 reviews
Positive7.0%
Neutral1.7%
Negative91.3%

BladeBuddy Edge Tracker

All ratings1 ratings
Positive100.0%
Neutral0.0%
Negative0.0%

Bugs and requests

BlackBear TV

Reported bugs

4 issues
  • App crashes when switching between landscape and portrait modes
  • Significant lag between live game and stream
  • No audio in mobile app
  • Inconsistent performance across devices

Requested features

4 requests
  • Add panoramic and zoom capabilities
  • Improve video playback controls and ability to download clips
  • Optimize app for iPad and TV viewing
  • Provide access to all rink activities, not just select games

BladeBuddy Edge Tracker

Not enough reviews yet to summarise bugs or requests.

In-app purchases

None

BlackBear TV

No in-app purchases

3 purchases

BladeBuddy Edge Tracker

Subscriptions3
  • Pro Weekly$2.997 Days
  • Pro Monthly$5.991 Month
  • Pro Annual7 Days trial$49.991 Year

Questions

Is BlackBear TV free?
BlackBear TV is free to download, with no in-app purchases.
Is BladeBuddy Edge Tracker free?
BladeBuddy Edge Tracker is free to download, with in-app purchases available.
Which has better reviews, BlackBear TV or BladeBuddy Edge Tracker?
BladeBuddy Edge Tracker is rated higher. BlackBear TV averages 1.3 out of 5 from 13 ratings, while BladeBuddy Edge Tracker averages 5.0 from 1 ratings.
Do BlackBear TV or BladeBuddy Edge Tracker have ads?
BlackBear TV shows ads; BladeBuddy Edge Tracker does not.
Which is updated more often, BlackBear TV or BladeBuddy Edge Tracker?
BlackBear TV ships an update monthly, and BladeBuddy Edge Tracker every 2 weeks. Most recently, BlackBear TV was updated on October 20, 2026 and BladeBuddy Edge Tracker on October 14, 2026.

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