Growing women’s sports isn’t only about what happens on the field – it’s also about who gets centered in the stories we tell off of it.

 

When Ted Lasso returns for its fourth season on August 5, 2026, it won’t just mark the comeback of one of TV’s most popular shows; it will also mark a major cultural moment for women’s sports.

 

After spending three seasons coaching AFC Richmond’s men’s team, Coach Lasso (played by Jason Sudeikis) is shifting his focus to women’s soccer. The new season will center around Richmond’s newly launched second division women’s team, which is a storyline that was first teased in the season three finale when Keeley Jones (played by Juno Temple) pitched the idea of launching a women’s club to Richmond owner Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham).

Ted Lasso centering women’s sports is a massive opportunity because there are few entertainment properties bigger or more beloved than Ted Lasso. According to Nielsen, Ted Lasso was the most-watched streaming original series in the U.S. across all platforms in 2023, amassing more than 16.9 billion minutes viewed. Not only that, but according to YouGov, 68% of Americans have heard of Ted Lasso, and 35% of the U.S. population have positive opinions of the show. It’s no surprise that the show has become such a fan favorite, as it has also been widely praised by the industry, earning 13 Emmy Awards and 61 Primetime Emmy nominations during its first three seasons, and winning 3 Golden Globes. Beyond awards, the series has also been credited with helping normalize soccer fandom in the U.S. and helping grow the awareness and popularity of soccer in general.

 

In an interview with the LA Times, Ted Lasso co-creator and star Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard throughout the series, explained it this way: “I’d like to think our show is putting soccer in some living rooms where it was previously verboten. And it is even, perhaps, in the most gentle way, tricking people into caring about a soccer team.”

 

That impact shouldn’t be underestimated.

One of the clearest trends in women’s sports is that when women’s sports are given visibility, audiences respond. Not just through live games and competition, but through TV shows, movies, documentaries, and storytelling that introduce women athletes and teams to audiences far beyond traditional sports fans. We’ve already seen proof of this in pop culture with Bend It Like Beckham becoming the highest-grossing soccer movie of all time, and A League of Their Own becoming the highest-grossing baseball movie ever.

 

Representation, both on and off the field of play, drives fandom and cultural relevance – and has even been proven to increase participation. 

 

In 2016, the Geena Davis Institute on Gender in Media found that after the releases of The Hunger Games and Brave, participation in archery rose by 86%, while women’s participation increased by 105%. Seven in 10 girls surveyed said characters like Katniss Everdeen and Princess Merida influenced their decision to try the sport.

 

Now, imagine that same effect applied to women’s soccer through one of the biggest TV franchises in the world. 

 

At a time when women’s soccer is already experiencing record-breaking growth in attendance, participation, sponsorship, media rights, and valuation, the fourth season of Ted Lasso presents another opportunity to accelerate the industry's growth. The series has the ability to introduce women’s soccer to millions of viewers who will now have the chance to connect emotionally with the athletes, stories, and culture through entertainment.

 

That’s why this is such a huge win for women’s sports. Growing women’s sports isn’t only about what happens on the field – it’s also about who gets centered in the stories we tell off of it. A moment like this – when one of the biggest shows in the world puts women’s soccer in the main spotlight and creates visibility for the sport at scale – has the potential to permanently expand fandom, inspire more participation in the sport, shift cultural perception, and introduce millions of new viewers to the women’s game. 

 

All the pieces are in place for season four of Ted Lasso to be a major catalyst for the continued growth of women’s soccer.

 

MEET CAROLINE FITZGERALD