Guides › Gifts for sports fans
A gift for the sports fan: lights that flash when their team scores
Wrap a smart bulb and write their team on the tag. From then on, every touchdown, goal and run lights up their room in the team's colors. illumiscore is free for one light and one team, so the light is the whole gift.
How the gift works
Give them a light
One color bulb on Wi-Fi is enough. The picks below all work with illumiscore today.
They pick their team
They sign up free, connect the light and follow their team. 975 teams across the NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, college sports, MLS and soccer.
Every score, a celebration
When their team scores, the light flashes in the team's two colors, then goes back to how it was. A win gets a longer flash.
Gift picks that work today
- Govee
Govee Wi-Fi color bulbs
H6006 (A19, 1000 lumens; also H6008)
The cheapest way in: screw one into the lamp next to your TV. Sold in 2- and 4-packs; one bulb is enough for the free plan.
Best for: a stocking stuffer, or a fan who's never had a smart light.
- Govee
Govee TV backlight
H6168 (55 to 65 inch TVs) or H6167 (40 to 50 inch)
A light strip behind the TV, so the whole wall goes to your team's colors right where you're watching. Pick a Wi-Fi version: some backlights are Bluetooth only.
Best for: the fan with a big TV and a game-day couch.
- LIFX
LIFX SuperColor bulb
A19, 1100 lumens
The brightest bulb here, and LIFX lights pulse on their own, so the flash is smooth. Connects straight to Wi-Fi, no hub.
Best for: a bright, smooth flash in a lamp by the TV.
For a Philips Hue home
Philips Hue is the best-known smart light, and lots of fans already have it. illumiscore flashes Hue color lights on a Hue Bridge: they sign in to Hue from their dashboard, nothing to paste.
- Philips Hue
Hue color starter kit with Bridge
White and Color Ambiance A19 bulbs plus a Hue Bridge
The usual way to start with Hue. The Bridge in the box is what any online service needs to reach Hue lights.
Works with illumiscore through the Hue Bridge.
- Philips Hue
Hue Play gradient lightstrip
Behind-the-TV strip; needs a Hue Bridge
A strip behind the TV with several colors at once, for a fan who already has Hue at home.
Works with illumiscore through the Hue Bridge.
Prices change often, so check them at the store. We aren't paid by LIFX, Govee or Philips Hue. As an Amazon Associate, illumiscore earns from qualifying purchases.
Make it about their team
Find their team on the teams page to see their colors and how each score flashes. Print it or send the link with the gift. Each team page has a button that picks the team for them when they sign up.
Good to know
- Do they have to pay for anything?
- No. illumiscore's Free plan flashes 1 light for 1 team, for as long as they like. A paid plan (from $4 a month or $29 a year) only matters if they want more lights or more teams.
- Do they need a hub?
- Not for LIFX or Govee: those lights connect straight to Wi-Fi. Philips Hue lights need a Hue Bridge, which is why the Hue kit we suggest comes with one.
- Can I set it up for them?
- Yes, with them, in about ten minutes. Set the light up in the LIFX, Govee Home or Philips Hue app on their phone, then they sign up at illumiscore with their own email, connect the light and pick the team. A test flash shows it working right away.
- Which teams are there?
- 975 teams: every NFL, MLB, NBA, NHL, WNBA and MLS team, college football and basketball, the NWSL and soccer leagues across Europe and Latin America.
- Does it work with Philips Hue?
- Yes, with Hue color lights on a Hue Bridge. They sign in to Hue from their illumiscore dashboard; there's nothing to paste.
- What if their stream is behind?
- Each light has a TV delay of up to 60 seconds, so the flash lands when they see the play, not before.
illumiscore isn't affiliated with LIFX, Govee, Philips Hue (Signify), Amazon, or any league or team. Store links open in a new tab. Amazon links are affiliate links: we may earn a small commission on what you buy, at no cost to you. Flashing lights can trigger seizures in people with photosensitive epilepsy; see the terms.