Season 3 starts June 7, with World Cup coverage in audio and video
Apple is bringing back its hit Apple News-produced podcast After the Whistle with Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe for a third season on June 7, timed to deliver commentary and recap coverage around the upcoming 2026 World Cup. The announcement comes from Apple Newsroom and positions the show as a fan-focused, personality-driven companion to the tournament — with Hunt (actor and cocreator of Ted Lasso) and Lowe (Premier League host and World Cup coverage cohost) breaking down matches and moments both on and off the pitch.
Apple says the new season will be available in both audio and video formats on Apple News and Apple Podcasts, and also distributed wherever listeners get their podcasts. A trailer is already live, and the show is presented by Verizon.
Why this matters to Mac (even if it’s not “gaming news”)
MacGaming.com readers don’t need another reason to care about sports media — but Apple’s continued investment in sports-adjacent content is part of a broader platform story that does matter to the Mac ecosystem.
For Mac and Apple Silicon users, the key takeaway here isn’t a new game or a new GPU feature; it’s that Apple keeps strengthening the “services layer” that ties the platform together. A show like After the Whistle is designed to move cleanly across devices: you can watch video episodes on a Mac during a work break, pick up the audio version on iPhone during a commute, and keep it synced via Apple’s accounts and app ecosystem. That cross-device continuity is one of Apple’s biggest strategic advantages — and it’s the same kind of stickiness Apple leans on when it’s trying to convince developers and consumers that the platform is more than just hardware specs.
It’s also notable that Apple continues to treat video podcasts as a first-class format inside its own apps. For creators and publishers watching Apple’s direction, this is another signal that Apple wants Apple News and Apple Podcasts to be places where premium, sponsor-backed programming can live alongside traditional RSS-driven listening. That matters for the broader creator economy on Apple platforms, even if it doesn’t directly change the day-to-day experience of running games on macOS.
Apple’s sports push keeps expanding through content, not just rights
Apple has already used Apple TV+ and Apple TV app distribution to broaden its sports footprint, but Apple News-produced programming is a different angle: it’s lower-friction, easier to sample, and built for conversation and recap rather than live viewing. That kind of content can drive daily engagement — and daily engagement is exactly what services businesses want.
In Apple’s announcement, Eddy Cue highlighted the duo’s ability to capture the “energy and passion” of the World Cup, while Hunt and Lowe emphasized the emotional highs and lows of tournament football. In other words: it’s positioned as comfort food for fans who want a companion show throughout the event, not a technical breakdown or highlights package.
Source and where to read more
Source: Apple Newsroom (May 27, 2026).
For the full announcement and official details, visit Apple’s post: After the Whistle with Brendan Hunt and Rebecca Lowe returns.
