Seasons 1 and 2 of Ted Lasso were acclaimed by critics and fans alike, but season 3 promises to be even better thanks to one major behind-the-scenes change. Just before the final episode of season 2, news broke that the English Premier League had signed a licensing deal with the Ted Lasso producers. The hefty agreement (worth up to $680,000) grants Ted Lasso showrunners the rights to feature Premier League archived footage, club logos/kits, and the league trophy. Racking up a slew of 20 Emmy nominations and winning seven, the series is among the top tier of the Apple TV+ catalog. The addition of the licensing deal unlocks further exciting storytelling possibilities, setting up Ted Lasso season 3 as the best iteration yet.
Ted Lasso’s origins can be traced back to a whimsical series of skits from NBC Sports (some of which were recreated in the show), but the fully-fledged production has continually improved since then. The show opens with former American football coach Ted Lasso (Jason Sudeikis) very much out of his depth. Ted is hired by Rebecca (Hannah Waddingham) to take the helm of struggling English football club AFC Richmond and sees his side relegated to a lower league at the end of the season. Season 2 sees Richmond secure promotion back to the Premier League, with Rebecca and Ted vowing to win the league. Although the premise is a football-focused comedy, this frame narrative is eclipsed by drama that is both heartfelt and relevant. While the first season was praised for its witty humor and much-needed optimism, the show dove into deeper themes in season 2 with Ted Lasso’s mental health plot, cementing it as more than a sports show.
Season 2 also saw kitman turned coach Nate (Nick Mohammed) help guide AFC Richmond back to the Premier League. After playing a critical role in earning his promotion, Nate felt his accomplishments weren’t being properly merited. The season 2 cliffhanger saw Nate jump ship and agree to become the coach at another Premier League club, setting the stage for an enticing rivalry and possible redemption in Ted Lasso season 3. There was an overlooked aspect of this reveal, however. The timely appearance of Nate’s new club (West Ham United) gave way to promising introductions from other Premier League clubs in the upcoming season.
Which Premier League Clubs Will Be In Ted Lasso Season 3?
Fictional club AFC Richmond shares a color scheme and stadium with the legitimate Premier League team Crystal Palace Football Club. A few scenes are captured at Selhurst Park, Palace’s stadium in south London. Other than that link, and short glimpses at fellow Premier League clubs Manchester City and West Ham United, Ted Lasso’s first two seasons are mostly character-centered with a football backdrop. However, with the new licensing deal in place, expect to see the Premier League heavily featured in season 3, incorporated among pertinent show themes.
Following Richmond’s promotion back to the Premier League in season 2, the Ted Lasso showrunners can look to replicate a similar Premier League success story thanks to the new licensing deal. English club Leicester City accomplished the unthinkable in the 2015/16 season, defying 5000-1 pre-season odds and winning the Premier League. Ted Lasso has seen real footballers and pundits sprinkled throughout the show’s run on numerous occasions, so a cameo from one of the most remarkable seasons in the history of the Premier League is plausible.
Ted Lasso can utilize the archived footage of Leicester’s improbable real-world football story as a motivational message to the team. Further, thanks to the licensing deal, Lasso’s Greyhounds could even lift the coveted Premier League trophy when it’s all said and done, just as Leicester did. The football storylines are important, but as current Liverpool manager Jürgen Klopp once said, football is “the most important of the least important things.” At its core, Ted Lasso is a story of struggle, perseverance, and hope. It deals with layered, intimately human themes of identity, mistrust, and mental health. In what could be the last season of Ted Lasso, producers now have all the tools to piece together a captivating story of belief.
