Coming Soon: What’s Next on Apple TV and Apple Arcade in August 2026

It’s a big sports month for Apple TV, starting with Apple Arcade, which goes all-in on football with Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition and Retro Bowl College+. On the Apple TV side, Ted Lasso returns for a fourth season, Formula 1 is coming out of its summer break, the MLS Leagues Cup begins, and MLB continues.

Let’s take a closer look.

Apple Arcade

Apple Arcade is adding two new games this month, both on Thursday, August 6, and both of them football games. That’s not a coincidence. The NFL and college football seasons are right around the corner, and these games offer great ways to get ready for both. They’re also part of a broader trend across Apple Arcade where sports games like NBA 2K26 and PGA TOUR Pro Golf, which also have continued receiving updates, have found a fan base.

Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition (Release Date: August 6)

Source: Apple.

The headliner this month is Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition, an all-new entry in EA’s long-running NFL franchise built specifically for Apple Arcade. The game includes Franchise and Quick Play modes, featuring current NFL player rosters and ratings that adapt to real-world performance. And as part of Arcade, the game cane be played across iPhone, iPad, Mac, Apple TV, and Apple Vision Pro with controller support and no ads, paywalls, or in-app purchases.

I got a chance to play an early release version of Madden NFL 27, and it looks and plays great on Apple devices. I’m not the football fan I once was, but the Arcade game is excellent, capturing the excitement of game day whether you drop in for a Quick Play session or go deep, acting as the GM of a team. Madden NFL 27 is a terrific addition to the Apple Arcade lineup.

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Retro Bowl College+ (Release Date: August 6)

Source: Apple.

I’m a huge fan of retro-style games of any kind, and Retro Bowl College+ looks like another winner. I love the game’s chunky pixel vibe and depth. You can choose to act as the head coach of any of 250 college teams, recruiting players, managing your school’s athletic budget, dealing with player drama, and more. Who knew an 8-bit game could be packed with this much style and story?

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Apple TV

Ted Lasso, Season Four (August 5, 2026)

It’s been three years since the Ted Lasso series finale, and it still holds a special spot in the hearts of many fans. This week, the show returns on Wednesdays with a 10-episode run, in which Ted comes back to Ricmond to coach a second-division women’s team. Other returning cast members include Hannah Waddingham, Juno Temple, Brett Goldstein, Brendan Hunt, and Jeremy Swift.

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Women in Blue, Season Two (August 12, 2026)

Women in Blue, Apple’s Spanish-language drama, returns August 12. Bárbara Mori’s character María is promoted to lieutenant and pulled into an investigation of a student’s death that stretches back to 1968. The season portrays María, Valentina, Gabina, and Ángeles’ fight against crime as they simultaneously endure corruption in their precinct. Episodes will be released weekly on Wednesdays through September 30.

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The Dynasty: UConn Huskies (August 21, 2026)

The Dynasty: UConn Huskies is a three-part docu-series covering 40 years of the most dominant college basketball program in history – one that eclipses teams like Duke, UNC, Kentucky, and UCLA. The series covers the career of famed coach Geno Auriemma, who led the Huskies women’s team to 12 national championships, more than any other team in NCAA Division I history. Directed by Matthew Hamachek and Erica Sashin, it pairs never-before-seen footage with in-depth access to players and coaches as it explores UConn’s extraordinary legacy.

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Stillwater, Season Five (August 21, 2026)

Stillwater returns August 21 with five episodes that will all drop the same day. Based on Jon J Muth’s “Zen” books, the kids’ series follows siblings Karl, Addy, and Michael and their neighbor Stillwater, a wise panda voiced by James Sie who helps them work through everyday problems with stories and humor.

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Dark Matter, Season Two (August 28, 2026)

Blake Crouch’s multidimensional sci-fi thriller Dark Matter returns for 10 more episodes on August 28. Season two picks up with the Dessen family settling into a quiet, seemingly safe life, until they’re sent running again. Jason’s obsession with the Box deepens, and Daniela’s paranoia threatens their relationship. Meanwhile, Amanda and Ryan try to find their way home, and Blair races to stop Leighton from building what he thinks is a perfect world.

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Sports

Formula 1: Dutch Grand Prix (August 21–23, 2026)

Formula 1 comes back from its summer break at Zandvoort for Round 12, and it’s a sprint weekend, which will be a busy three days. Practice 1 and the Sprint Qualifying run on Friday, August 21 are free, followed by the Sprint and Qualifying rounds on Saturday, August 22. Then, the Grand Prix itself is on Sunday, August 23.

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Friday Night Baseball

Apple’s weekly doubleheader continues every Friday in August on Apple TV, with no local blackout restrictions and coverage in 60 countries and regions:

August 7

Baltimore Orioles at Texas Rangers (8:00 PM Eastern)

Tampa Bay Rays at Seattle Mariners (9:30 PM Eastern)

August 14

St. Louis Cardinals at Chicago Cubs (2:00 PM Eastern)

New York Yankees at Toronto Blue Jays (7:00 PM Eastern)

August 21

Tampa Bay Rays at Baltimore Orioles (7:00 PM Eastern)

Los Angeles Angels at Texas Rangers (8:00 PM Eastern)

August 28

Boston Red Sox at New York Yankees (7:00 PM Eastern)

Seattle Mariners at Toronto Blue Jays (7:00 PM Eastern)

August 14 is the highlight, with a Cardinals–Cubs matinee followed by a rematch of last year’s Yankees–Blue Jays Division Series. August 28 is nearly as good, with the Red Sox facing the Yankees while the Mariners and Blue Jays revisit last year’s Championship Series.

Leagues Cup and MLS

Beginning August 4, the Liga MX clubs face off against 18 MLS clubs for the Leagues Cup. Phase One is 54 matches in nine days, from August 4–13, with quarterfinals August 25–27. This is the first edition to include matches in Mexico, and every match is on Apple TV. The MLS regular season games continue alongside the Cup, with midweek Leagues Cup games followed by weekend MLS matches.

That’s it for August. I’m personally looking forward to Ted Lasso and continuing to play Madden NFL 27 Arcade Edition.

If you’re a Club MacStories Plus or Premier member, drop by the TV and Movies channel in Discord to chat about what you’re looking forward to from Apple TV this month, and be sure to listen to MacStories Unwind, where Federico and I cover some of these shows and games, along with our other media recommendations, every week.