The people behind the hit TV show Ted Lasso have signed a lucrative licensing deal with the Premier League, meaning the next season will look significantly more like the real deal.
The Emmy-winning series has run for two seasons on Apple TV+ and was renewed for a third before the second season even aired. It follows US coach Ted Lasso, played by Jason Sudeikis, who seems to have no bearing on the English game. Lasso is hired by club owner Rebecca Welton who aims to ruin the club following a nasty divorce from her husband.
As Lasso learns about the Premier League, the passion of the fans, and the use of unfamiliar footballing terms, the players and wider public begin to warm to his charm and positivity.
The Deal
As reported by The Athletic's Matt Slater, The deal is worth around £500,000 and will allow the comedy show to use archive footage, Premier League club logos, and kits. The Premier League trophy will also be allowed to feature going forward.
Previous seasons have featured the fictional club AFC Richmond in the league but rarely showed any official Premier League faces. Gillette Soccer Saturday's Jeff Stelling and Chris Kamara made cameo appearances.
This will be the first fictional story set in the Premier League, with exclusive footage of the action since the 2005 film Goal!
Significance
The deal marks the beginning of something unprecedented for the Premier League. The comedy show has received critical acclaim in recent months. Actor Sudeikis has won an Emmy and Golden Globe for the portrayal. Hannah Waddington and Brett Goldstein also picked up Emmy awards for their portrayals of Welton and aging footballer Roy Kent.
Goldstein is a writer on the show alongside producer Bill Lawrence, who rose to fame with medical comedy Scrubs.
The show will most certainly encourage viewers to tune into Premier League games in the future. Football fans will likely look to stream the show once hearing of the new licensing deal.
The show and the top-flight league will be boosted as fans are exposed to both through this lucrative deal.
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