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Posts tagged with "sports"

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.

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.

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Retro Bowl College+ (Release Date: August 6)

Source: Apple.

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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Apple Strikes Broadcast Deal with F1

Apple announced today that it will be the exclusive U.S. broadcaster for Formula 1 racing. The five-year deal begins next year and will also include integrations with Apple News, Maps, Music, and Fitness+.

Eddy Cue, Apple’s senior vice president of Services, said of the deal:

We’re thrilled to expand our relationship with Formula 1 and offer Apple TV subscribers in the U.S. front-row access to one of the most exciting and fastest-growing sports on the planet. 2026 marks a transformative new era for Formula 1, from new teams to new regulations and cars with the best drivers in the world, and we look forward to delivering premium and innovative fan-first coverage to our customers in a way that only Apple can.

Apple says that its streaming subscribers will have access to all practice, qualifying, Sprint sessions, and Grands Prix and that certain races and practice sessions will be available for free in the TV app. Apple TV subscribers will also have exclusive access to F1 TV Premium, F1’s premium content service, at no extra cost. Apple says it will release more information about F1 product integrations in the coming months.

This deal has been rumored for a long time and makes a lot of sense for Apple, which has been working to add internationally popular sports to its lineup for some time. Along with MLS and select weekly baseball games, the company has a much more robust sports package than ever before, which should make Apple TV attractive to a broader audience.