The Apple TV hit Ted Lasso is returning for season 4 at the perfect time, and its new approach could reinvigorate the series. Ted Lasso season 3 was expected to be the last. They designed the story to wrap everything up, and the last episode feels like a series finale. They even did the semi-cliche, full circle thing of the main character repeating lines from the first season in the final moments. However, it was a pleasant surprise when Apple TV renewed Ted Lasso for season 4.
Jason Sudeikis explained his return to Ted Lasso on the New Heights podcast. They had finished the story they wanted to tell in three things. However, after the 2023 Hollywood strikes, “the universe kept just saying things” to tell him the show should continue. Luckily, the show is returning with a fresh new angle, and fans seem excited about it, based on the Ted Lasso streaming resurgence.
Ted is going back to Richmond to coach a second division women’s football team. Ted Lasso’s story shift from men’s football to women’s football comes at the perfect time. The new direction coincides with an exciting cultural shift and a new global competition that’s bound to continue for many years.
The sports world still hasn’t caught up to society in terms of representation, with plenty of latent sexism going around in the athletic world. There’s something to be said about the fact that the world often labels things “football” and “women’s football.” What’s more, there’s a distinct imbalance in the number of women coaches in high-performance sports (via Sage Pub). Luckily, that is slowly starting to shift. A perfect example of this is women’s football, which has seen a huge boost in popularity in recent years, both in the US and globally.
ESPN shared some exciting statistics about the current and projected growth of women’s football. The revenue for the Women’s Super League grew 34% in the 2023 to 2024 season. Women’s football saw an 18% boost between 2024 and 2025. Disney+ is now broadcasting Women’s Championship League matches in Europe. Women’s football rose 60% with women fans between 2020 and 2025. The sapphic romance book Cleat Cute was even picked up for a TV adaptation, showing that Hollywood is recognizing the potential of women’s football stories.
With all that in mind, Ted Lasso’s season 4 return is perfectly timed. Even though season 3 received mixed reviews, existing Ted Lasso fans will likely turn out for the show, as they’ve already invested in Ted and his journey over the past three seasons. Additionally, they have the opportunity to further grow their fanbase by highlighting women’s football.
Ted Lasso’s direction change probably would have been welcome any time in the past three years, during which women’s football has seen steady growth. However, 2026 is actually the ideal time for the show to pivot to women’s football, as it coincides with a monumental first for the global sport.
The FIFA World Cup and other global competitions have historically only focused on men’s teams. More and more global competitions have started featuring women’s teams and mixed-gender teams. This year, the prestigious football organization held the first-ever FIFA Women’s Champions Cup. It’s perfect that the Apple TV original is aligning with this event. What’s more, the UK Arsenal team won first place, which will inevitably lead to more attention for British women’s football, specifically.
|
2026 FIFA Women’s Champions Cup Results |
|
|---|---|
|
1st |
Arsenal (UK) |
|
2nd |
Corinthians (Brazil) |
|
3rd |
Gotham FC (United States |
|
4th |
AS FAR (Morocco) |
Unless Ted Lasso truly butchers season 4, their viewership in 2026 is bound to be strong, especially now that they’re focusing on women’s football. What’s more, viewership for women’s football is expected to steadily grow until 2030, based on Nielsen Sports International’s projections (via ESPN). As such, they can continue past season 4 with confidence that people will be interested in the sport they’re bringing to the screen.
- Release Date
-
August 14, 2020
- Network
-
Apple TV
