Two episodes of the fourth season have been released, and already the question of a fifth is on the table. Apple's head of services responded on the red carpet at the premiere – not with a promise, but with a statement that leaves plenty of room for speculation. At the same time, the series creator addressed a rumor that has followed the show since the end of season 3.
The fourth season, in which Ted Lasso takes over a women's team in the English second division, has been running since August 5th. Ten episodes are planned, with the finale scheduled for October 7th. The season has only just begun – and yet those involved are already discussing what might come next.
The occasion is an interview conducted on the sidelines of the premiere in Los Angeles. Eddy Cue, Apple's Senior Vice President of Services responsible for the streaming service, was asked about a fifth season. His answer wasn't an announcement, but it was significantly more positive than what Apple had previously said on the subject.
Key Facts at a Glance
- Eddy Cue believes a fifth season is possible and sees enough material for further episodes – but there has been no official renewal yet.
- Jason Sudeikis clarifies that a spin-off focused on the women's team was never seriously planned.
- According to reports from summer 2025, the actors are contracted for three seasons, suggesting a run that extends to season 6.
- Season 4 comprises ten episodes; new episodes will be released on Wednesdays until October 7th.
- Apple TV still costs €9.99 per month in Germany and Austria, while in the US it now costs $12.99.
Enough material for further seasons
When asked about a fifth season, Cue replied in an interview with ScreenRant that he hoped so and felt the current season was good enough to justify a continuation. There were plenty of stories left to tell, and they would be there.
This is deliberately worded in an open-ended way. It doesn't constitute an order, and Apple hasn't announced a fifth season to date. However, what the statement does show is that the internal resistance that apparently existed before season 4 has disappeared.
Cue is responsible for the streaming service within Apple's services division. Statements from this position are not programming decisions, but they come from the place where such decisions are made.
Contracts for three seasons support the outlook
A second signal has been in place for some time. According to a report from July 2025, the main actors were signed on for three seasons each – a constellation that fits Sudeikis' plan to tell another three-part story arc.
Taken together, both points point in the same direction: Season 4 is conceived as the start of a new trilogy, not as an encore. According to ScreenRant, Sudeikis plans to return to the writers' room later this summer to develop storylines for a potential fifth season.
Apple follows a similar approach with several of its original productions. The science fiction drama Pluribus is also planned to run for at least three seasons, although there has been no official order beyond the upcoming season.
The spinoff was never planned
At the same time, Sudeikis dispelled a rumor that had persisted since the end of the third season. The idea of a standalone series centered on the AFC Richmond women's team, which was discussed in spring 2025 as a possible direction for the brand, never actually existed.
The montage at the end of season 3 was deliberately left open, he explained to ScreenRant. It was intended as a collection of starting points for the audience, not as an announcement of a spin-off.
Only when the desire for a return became more concrete did the women's team become the obvious choice. A relocation of the story to the United States was also briefly considered – but discarded as soon as the reason for Ted's return to England was clear.
Why Apple actually wanted to end the series
Cue describes the situation after season 3 unequivocally: They were finished, Sudeikis was too, and they considered the climax to have been reached. The series should end because there was nothing more to add to the story.
Apple only changed course when the team itself came up with the idea of an all-female team. Cue describes it as a completely different perspective, but one that is intended to preserve the overall feel of the series.
This order is noteworthy because it contradicts the usual narrative that a streaming service pushes to extend its most successful brand. According to both accounts, the impetus came from the creators themselves.
When the remaining episodes will be released
The fourth season airs weekly. After the premiere on August 5th, nine more episodes will follow on Wednesdays, unchanged until the finale.
| Consequence | Date |
|---|---|
| Episode 3 | August 19, 2026 |
| Episode 4 | August 26, 2026 |
| Episode 5 | September 2, 2026 |
| Episode 6 | September 9, 2026 |
| Episode 7 | September 16, 2026 |
| Episode 8 | September 23, 2026 |
| Episode 9 | September 30, 2026 |
| Episode 10 (Finale) | October 7, 2026 |
Further new releases and returning films this month can be found in our program overview for August.
What the German-speaking world experiences differently
The episodes are released here simultaneously with the US, without delay and with German dubbing. However, the price development diverges: the subscription still costs €9.99 per month in Germany and Austria, while Apple now charges $12.99 in the US.
This is relevant for viewers in German-speaking countries because a weekly season running over two months requires a subscription. With ten episodes until the beginning of October, this adds up to at least two monthly payments, unless someone waits for the compilation viewing after the finale.
What lies between prospect and promise
An order is based on viewing figures, not interview statements. Apple doesn't release viewership numbers, which is why it's impossible to judge from the outside how the fourth season is performing – but the decision about a continuation will likely depend on precisely that.
In practical terms, this means you don't necessarily have to wait until October for an announcement. Apple has made decisions with other series several times before a season had even finished airing – Silo was awarded a third and fourth season halfway through its second season, after five of ten episodes. Slow Horses was renewed twice within a few days or weeks of its respective season finale, and Pluribus was even renewed before its first season had even started.
We therefore expect a decision in September rather than after October 7th. Season 4 reaches its halfway point in early September, and Apple used precisely this window for Silo. The fact that contracts and storylines are already in place further shortens the lead time – for Season 4, there were almost two years between the end of the third season and the official confirmation.
The brand that Apple TV still depends on
Ted Lasso is the production that first brought the service widespread attention, and it still holds that position six years after its launch. The fact that the incoming CEO has explicitly committed to Apple TV's current direction suggests that nothing will change after the leadership transition in early September. (Image: Apple)
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