Apple TV's popular series "Ted Lasso" launched its fourth season on August 5, but this time, the show has shifted its focus from men's football to women's football. According to reports, this creative choice reflects not only a change in the show's narrative direction but also real developments happening in women's football.

Original Report Below

When the creators of "Ted Lasso" decided to return after a two-year hiatus, they could have taken a simpler path.

With season four launching after the 2026 Men's World Cup, the most popular football coach in America could have simply returned to the fictional AFC Richmond to coach the men's team competing in the Premier League once again.

He could have reunited with Coach Beard, faced new challenges alongside the familiar characters that made this Apple TV series a global phenomenon, and continued sending his signature pink biscuit boxes to Richmond's owner, Rebecca Welton, as usual.

But the latest season chose a completely different direction.

Season four shifts its focus to the AFC Richmond Women's team, which is fighting for promotion in England's second-tier league. In doing so, the highly popular comedy series connects with the fastest-growing area of the world's most popular sport—women's football.

The opening scenes of season four will be familiar to fans of the National Women's Soccer League (NWSL), featuring footage from CPKC Stadium, home of the Kansas City Current. This stadium is the first in the world built specifically for a professional women's football club.

This choice reflects not only a change in the show's narrative direction but also real developments in women's football.

Angie Long, majority owner of Kansas City Current, said in an interview before the season premiere: "I saw this idea at the end of last season. They introduced a women's team, and I remember thinking, 'A women's team? That's interesting.'"

"Looking back now, I hope we at least provided inspiration on how to build a women's team the right way."

Since its debut in 2020, "Ted Lasso" has helped American audiences better understand and appreciate football culture. In recent years, women's football has also experienced remarkable growth.

In the United States, NWSL team valuations continue to rise, investors are entering the space, and clubs are actively investing in top players. In Europe, the Women's Super League (WSL) is experiencing similar growth, with new investment groups and minority equity investors entering the market, seeking to capitalize on the rapid commercial growth of women's football.

Angie Long said: "Those of us working in women's sports know how transformative the last five years have been. But for others, after watching this show, they might say: 'Wow, women's football really is this mature!'"

When the production crew approached Angie Long and her husband Chris Long, this connection was no coincidence.

Season four's decision to begin in Kansas City came from an idea by show creator Jason Sudeikis. As a Kansas City native, he is now a regular at Kansas City Current matches.

Angie Long said: "He's one of those people who genuinely loves Kansas City sports. He's been a passionate supporter of women's sports even before we met him."

This passion ultimately influenced the show's direction.

"Ted Lasso" was originally an improvisational comedy character created by Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt, who plays Coach Beard, during a show in Amsterdam in the early 2000s. More than a decade later, the character became an NBC promotional advertisement for Premier League broadcasting rights.

The story of an optimistic and determined American football coach navigating English football culture was hugely successful and eventually became the "Ted Lasso" TV series in 2020. The show went on to win 13 Emmy Awards.

However, one of the show's greatest contributions may be allowing many American viewers to genuinely experience football culture and passion for the first time.

In the season four premiere, Keeley Jones (played by Juno Temple) stops as she enters CPKC Stadium. She looks around, inspired by the atmosphere, and then suggests to Rebecca Welton (played by Hannah Waddingham) that perhaps the AFC Richmond Women's team should have its own stadium too.

For viewers, this may seem like a simple line advancing the plot. But for the Longs, this moment represents recognition of years of investment.

Chris Long said: "I think that's one of the best lines in the entire show."

And when cameras weren't rolling, the impact was equally powerful. When the crew first came to CPKC Stadium to film, they experienced the atmosphere of the real NWSL firsthand.

Chris Long recalled: "Juno said, 'I cried when I walked in here.' Not the character Keeley, but Juno Temple herself. We were so proud to create something that evoked such genuine emotion."

The Longs hope that people entering the 11,500-seat stadium for the first time will feel the same. They believe millions of viewers will experience this magic through their screens.

The Longs became interested in investing in women's football after the U.S. Women's National Team won their fourth World Cup title in 2019.

In December 2020, they partnered with former professional player Brittany Mahomes to acquire operating rights to the Utah Royals and relocate the team to Kansas City. In 2023, Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes also joined the investment group.

FC Kansas City was one of the NWSL's founding teams and operated locally until 2017. The new team, Kansas City NWSL, returned to the league in 2021 and was renamed Kansas City Current the following year.

The Longs subsequently expanded their investment, self-funding $120 million to build CPKC Stadium, which opened in 2024. Their investment has paid off.

On the pitch, Current has reached the playoffs twice and won the NWSL Shield last year, an award given to the team with the most regular season points.

Commercially, the team has become one of the highest-revenue clubs in the NWSL. According to Forbes, the team's estimated annual revenue is around $38 million.

Angie Long said: "This will only push us further. People will watch the first episode of 'Ted Lasso' and say: 'The quality and experience here is incredible!' That's exactly how we want people to talk about women's football."

During filming, the crew and the Longs were mutually impressed. According to Chris Long, the actors quickly fell in love with the club and city, and during production, they felt they weren't simply "working" but truly "falling in love with Current."

"I think they elevated their game again. Because they themselves are passionate supporters of women's sports, and 'Ted Lasso' is a work with significant international influence and a diverse audience, which amplifies its impact."

For the Longs, having the world's most popular football comedy filmed at their stadium is a rare life experience.

The filming process also gave them insight into the complex procedures behind film and television production. Hair and makeup began around 7 a.m. each day, and actors and extras then worked for hours surrounded by cameras, microphones, and lighting equipment.

Stand-ins would rehearse scenes first, and the cinematography team would adjust angles and positions until everything was ready before the principal actors officially began shooting.

Angie Long recalled that they often had to wait for the director to review footage before shooting the same scene multiple times.

They even experienced disappointment when segments they filmed were ultimately cut from the final edit.

Chris Long said: "There was another scene where we, as team owners, were introduced to Rebecca, but unfortunately it didn't make the final cut. That was our only day as Screen Actors Guild members."

Although their scene was cut, the Longs still appear briefly in the background behind the main actors.

Angie Long laughed: "We got one day of Hollywood life, and now we're satisfied."

Now, season four of "Ted Lasso" will showcase the world of women's football—or at least Hollywood's version of it—to viewers over the next ten weeks.

If successful, the show will not only provide entertainment but could also serve as a gateway for more people to fall in love with women's football.

Chris Long said: "We just had a fantastic World Cup. We're very proud that Kansas City was one of the highest-rated markets, which is the result of our long-term efforts to build it up."

"Now this show airs right after that. Following that, there's the Women's World Cup in Brazil, then the Olympics. One major event after another—I can't imagine people won't embrace this sport with even greater enthusiasm."

Diterjemahkan oleh AI.

Situs web AF kini hadir! Lihat berita lengkap, komentar, detail pertandingan, dan statistik di komputer Anda. Kunjungi: www.allfootballapp.com