One of the most watched and awarded streaming series kicked off its third season in March. Here’s a look at how many people may have watched “Ted Lasso” and how the show has become a smash hit for Apple Inc AAPL.
What Happened: The third season of “Ted Lasso” kicked off on AppleTV+ on March 15. The 12-episode third season will have new episodes released every Wednesday in what could be the final season for the Emmy Award-winning show.
AppleTV+ does not break out viewership figures of its shows, but new estimates are out for the season three premiere.
The season three premiere had viewership up 59% across U.S. households tracked by Samba TV, as reported by Deadline. A total of 870,000 U.S. households tracked by Samba TV tuned in to the first episode. The viewership tracked the first four days of availability.
Samba TV does not include mobile viewership and tracks around 3 million TVs in the U.S., which is larger than Nielsen.
Season 2 of “Ted Lasso” had the biggest premiere day ever, largest opening weekend and No. 1 debut for all shows and movies to appear on AppleTV+.
“Audiences clearly ‘believe’ in the magic of the feel-good Ted Lasso series, with the third season opener scoring the most watched premiere for any AppleTV+ original series in the past year,” Samba TV Senior Vice President Dallas Lawrence said.
Related Link: Paramount+ Adds 9.9M Streaming Subscribers In Q4, How It Stacks Up To Netflix, Disney+ And Other Rivals
Why It’s Important: Along with being a hit on AppleTV+, “Ted Lasso” has gained a wide following and pushed the series from Warner Bros. Discovery WBD into new licensing opportunities.
The fictional AFC Richmond from “Ted Lasso” and several of the coaches and players were featured in the “FIFA 23” video game from Electronic Arts Inc EA.
Build-A-Bear Workshop BBW signed a licensing deal with “Ted Lasso” that could introduce a younger generation of fans to the show and its characters, although the show is not exactly child-friendly.
Apparel and sportswear powerhouse Nike Inc NKE launched a collection of AFC Richmond jerseys, shirts, scarves and more products to coincide with the launch of the third season.
Actors Jason Sudeikis, Brett Goldstein, Hannah Waddingham, Toheeb Jimoh and Brendan Hunt were featured guests at the White House this week where they discussed mental health initiatives during a press briefing and with President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden.
“I truly believe that we should all do our best to help take care of each other,” Sudeikis said at the press briefing.
Sudeikis said that many people struggle with mental health and anxiety and there’s often a stigma around it.
“We encourage everyone, and it’s a big theme of the show, to check in with your neighbor, your coworker, your friends, your family.”
What's Next For 'Ted Lasso': Apple has had one of its biggest hits with “Ted Lasso.” The series could end with the third season, with the writers saying it was originally written that way.
The new licensing deals and the White House visit have increased visibility around the show, which likely means there will be increasing demand for a fourth season. The decision will be up to the actors and writers, but Apple could benefit from any hint that a fourth season is coming.
Apple signed a huge deal with Major League Soccer to be the exclusive home of the sports league. MLS games started in February and could be a good cross-promotion opportunity between fans of the league and the soccer-themed show.
Apple also released “Extrapolations” in March and has the “Tetris” movie coming March 31, setting up a busy two months for the streaming platform.
AppleTV+ is one of the smaller players in the streaming space and the success of “Ted Lasso” and other February and March releases could help boost subscribers.
Brendan Hunt and Jason Sudeikis in "Ted Lasso." Photo courtesy of AppleTV+.
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