The Audi 2026 MLS Cup Playoffs begin on November 18 with the wild card matches, and every postseason game streams on Apple TV, Major League Soccer said in its schedule announcement. Apple TV subscribers get the playoffs as part of their subscription, which Apple listed at $12.99 per month in February, and 2026 MLS Cup presented by Audi follows on December 18.
Before the playoffs start, the regular season wraps with Decision Day on November 7. Then the league pauses for the November FIFA international window. After that, the postseason runs over four straight weeks.
The full playoff schedule
MLS published the round dates in March and added the dates for each game of the Round One series on October 7. The league says dates are subject to change.
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| Round | Dates |
|---|---|
| Decision Day (regular season ends) | November 7 |
| Wild Card matches | November 18 |
| Round One, Game One | November 20 to November 24 |
| Round One, Game Two | November 27 to November 28 |
| Round One, Game Three (if necessary) | December 1 to December 2 |
| Conference Semifinals | December 5 and December 6 |
| Conference Finals | December 11 and December 12 |
| MLS Cup presented by Audi | December 18 |
Kickoff times for individual matches will come later. MLS says the complete bracket and broadcast details “will be announced once finalized.”
How each round works
The wild card round is a single elimination game in each conference between the No. 8 and No. 9 seeds, hosted by the higher seed. Each winner moves on to face its conference’s No. 1 seed.
The top seven teams in each conference qualify directly for Round One. That round is a best of three series, and all 16 teams in it are guaranteed at least one home playoff game. The higher seed hosts Game One, the lower seed hosts Game Two, and a third game, if needed, goes back to the higher seed’s stadium.
From there it is single elimination. The four Conference Semifinals are hosted by the team with the better regular season record. The Eastern and Western Conference Finals on December 11 and 12 decide who plays for the title.
MLS Cup is hosted by whichever finalist finished higher in the Supporters’ Shield standings. The champion also gets a bye into the Round of 16 of the 2027 Concacaf Champions Cup and represents MLS in the 2027 Michelob ULTRA Campeones Cup.
This is also the last time the MLS Cup final will be played in December. The league is moving to a summer to spring calendar after this season.
How to watch on Apple TV
MLS says fans in more than 100 countries can watch every playoff match and MLS Cup on Apple TV. All matches come with English and Spanish commentary, and some may also have French commentary. In the U.S. and Canada, the Apple TV app lets you switch to your home team’s radio call where it is available.
In its 2026 season kickoff release, Apple said Apple TV subscribers “can enjoy access to every MLS match with no blackouts,” and it named the Audi MLS Cup Playoffs among the matches beyond the regular season that are included. We covered that change when the 2026 season began.
In February, Apple listed Apple TV at $12.99 per month with a seven day free trial for new subscribers. Apple also says a subscription for this season is included with each full season MLS club ticket account.
You can watch in the Apple TV app on Apple devices, Android devices, smart TVs, streaming devices, set top boxes and game consoles, as well as on DIRECTV, Xfinity and at tv.apple.com. Apple’s release also says Xfinity customers get all MLS matches in English and Spanish inside the X1 and Xfinity Stream channel guide.
Where else the games air
Apple TV is not the only option for the biggest games. MLS Cup and select playoff games will also air on FOX and FOX Deportes in the U.S. and on TSN and RDS in Canada. MLS says the final will air in primetime on Apple TV, FOX, TSN and RDS.
For bars and restaurants, Apple said in February that EverPass would carry Apple TV’s live sports, including MLS, through its EverPass Core package.
Follow along on iPhone
The free Apple Sports app on iPhone tracks scores, stats, standings and lineups, and it can jump straight into the Apple TV app to watch a match. Apple says the app offers Live Activities for all MLS matches, so live scores show up on the iPhone and Apple Watch Lock Screen.
Apple News carries MLS scores, schedules and standings in its Sports tab. If you set favorite clubs in My Sports, Apple says those sync between Apple Sports, the Apple TV app and Apple News, which helps once the bracket fills in after November 7.
