From the return of Ted Lasso and Reacher to NFL preseason, the Little League World Series, and Emmy catch-up picks, here is what to watch this August — and how to find all of it on Xumo.

August is the handoff month. Summer blockbusters give way to fall TV, football comes back, and Emmy voters make up their minds. The result is one of the busiest streaming months of the year: major premieres, returning fan favorites, live sports across three leagues, and a short window to catch up on the shows everyone will be talking about in September.

With Xumo Stream Box or Xumo TV, all of it lives in one place. Your subscriptions, your live sports, and hundreds of free channels on Xumo Play — searchable by voice, no app-hopping required.

August 2026 Premieres at a Glance

Every major August drop, in order:

August 2 — Lioness Season 3 (Paramount+)

August 4 — Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks (HBO Max)

August 5 — Ted Lasso Season 4 (Apple TV, weekly through October 7)

August 5 — Sterling Point (Prime Video)

August 6 — My Life With the Walter Boys Season 3 (Netflix)

August 7 — Alley Cats (Netflix)

August 7 — Super Troopers 3 (Disney+)

August 12 — Reacher Season 4 (Prime Video)

August 13 — Tires Season 3 (Netflix)

August 14 — MLB at Field of Dreams (live)

August 16 — Lanterns (HBO Max)

August 20 — Outer Banks Season 5 (Netflix, final season)

August 26 — The Last Sunrise (Prime Video)

New and Returning Shows on Streaming in August 2026

The Big New Premieres

Lanterns — HBO Max, August 16

One of the most anticipated new series of the year, bringing a marquee comic franchise to streaming with Kyle Chandler and Aaron Pierre. If you only add one new title to your August list, this is the one people will be arguing about.

Sterling Point — Prime Video, August 5

A coming-of-age drama from Megan Park that follows a 17-year-old who inherits her grandfather’s remote Canadian island. Early reviews single out the early-2000s nostalgia and a cast worth watching.

Fan Favorites Are Back

Ted Lasso Season 4 — Apple TV, August 5

Three years after the presumed finale, Ted is back at Richmond — this time coaching the club’s new second-division women’s team. Ten episodes, released weekly on Wednesdays through October 7, so there is still plenty of runway to jump in.

Reacher Season 4 — Prime Video, August 12

Alan Ritchson returns for another season of one of Prime Video’s biggest series. If you are behind, the previous seasons are right there in the same app — a solid weekend binge before the new episodes stack up. Outer Banks Season 5 — Netflix, August 20 The Pogues ride out. Season 5 is the final chapter of one of Netflix’s most-watched YA series, which makes this the month to finish the story.

Lioness Season 3 — Paramount+, August 2

Zoe Saldaña is back for the espionage thriller’s most personal assignment yet, with the hidden networks and high-stakes fieldwork the series is known for. 

My Life With the Walter Boys Season 3 — Netflix, August 6

The coming-of-age drama returns with new relationships, new complications, and the small-town Colorado setting that made it a word-of-mouth hit. 

Tires Season 3 — Netflix, August 13

The workplace comedy is back for another round at Valley Forge Automotive. Short episodes, quick binge, ideal for a weeknight. 

Dark Matter Season 2 — Apple TV, August 28 

The sci-fi thriller continues its exploration of alternate realities and the choices that create them. Netflix, Prime Video, Apple TV, Paramount+, and HBO Max all launch directly from your Xumo home screen. Or just say the app name into your Xumo voice remote and it opens.

Football Is Back: NFL Preseason and Hard Knocks

August means the return of football, and this year the training-camp story is a good one.

Hard Knocks: Training Camp with the Seattle Seahawks (HBO Max)

Follows the reigning Super Bowl champions — the first time since the series launched in 2001 that it has featured a defending champion. Instead of the usual roster-bubble drama, this season is about a locker room carrying the weight of a title, with Mike Macdonald, Sam Darnold, and Jaxon Smith-Njigba front and center. 

Add NFL preseason games across national and local broadcasters and August becomes the ramp-up to the regular season.

More Live Sports to Watch in August

MLB at Field of Dreams — August 14

Baseball returns to the Iowa cornfield for one of the sport’s most-watched regular season events. Equal parts nostalgia and spectacle, and one of the few games that plays as well for casual viewers as it does for die-hards.

Little League World Series

Two weeks of teams from around the world in Williamsport. Reliably the most purely enjoyable sports television of the month, and genuinely family-friendly. 

WNBA Playoff Race 

The push for postseason positioning tightens through August. With the standings this compressed, close-of-season games carry playoff weight.

Free to Watch on Xumo Play This August

Not everything worth watching costs $15.99 a month. Xumo Play is free, ad-supported, and built into every Xumo device — no subscription, no login, no credit card. Just turn it on.

What to look for this month:

Free live sports channels. Nothing to sign up for.

August 6 — NASCAR Rising Season 2 (Exclusive Premiere on Xumo Play)

Watch these races live for free on the NASCAR Channel, on Xumo Play:

August 20 — Interstate Batteries High Limit Racing at Santa Maria Speedway (Time: 9:15PM ET – 1:00AM ET)

August 21 — Kyle Busch Invitational at Bowman Gray Stadium (Time: 5:00PM ET – 10:00PM ET)

August 28 — NASCAR Whelen Modified Tour at Stafford Motor Speedway (Time: 7:45PM ET – 10:00PM ET)

Movie collections for end-of-summer nights:

Free, on demand, no queue-building required.
Golden Oldies
Cowboy Classes 

Always-on channels for background watching:

The kind of thing you leave on while the house is busy.
The Addams Family
MGM Presents
MGM Presents Action
MGM Presents Horror
MGM Presents Westerns
Browse the full free lineup on Xumo Play — 300+ channels and counting.

Emmy Season: What to Catch Up On Before September 14

The 78th Emmy Awards air Monday, September 14 on NBC and Peacock, with final-round voting running August 17 through August 26. That makes the next few weeks the last good window to watch the shows before the conversation moves on without you.

The Pitt — HBO Max

Last year’s Outstanding Drama Series winner, still one of the most talked-about shows on television and the standard the rest of the field is measured against.

Hacks — HBO Max

The comedy keeps finding new gears, with writing and performances that have collected hardware every season it has been eligible.

Widow’s Bay — Apple TV

The horror-comedy from Katie Dippold, starring Matthew Rhys as a mayor who refuses to believe his island is cursed. A critical favorite and the strongest new-series dark horse of the season.

Whether you are filling out a prediction bracket or just looking for the next great binge, these are the three to prioritize.

How to Find It All on Xumo

Between premieres, returning favorites, live sports, and free channels, August has more to watch than any single month should. Xumo Stream Box and Xumo TV bring your subscriptions and free streaming into one interface, so you spend less time hunting across apps and more time watching.

Search across services with your voice remote, add the apps you want in a few clicks, and let Xumo Play fill in everything else — for free.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does Xumo have Netflix?

Yes. Netflix is available on both Xumo Stream Box and Xumo TV. Launch it from your home screen, or say “Netflix” into your Xumo voice remote.

Is Xumo Play free?

Yes. Xumo Play is free and ad-supported. There is no subscription, no login, and no payment method required.

Can I watch NFL preseason and Hard Knocks on Xumo? 

Yes. Hard Knocks streams on HBO Max, which is available on Xumo devices, and NFL preseason games air across national and local broadcasters you can access through the apps on your Xumo device. 

What do I need to watch these shows?

A Xumo Stream Box or Xumo TV, plus subscriptions to whichever services you want. Xumo Play is included free either way.