The impact of the Apple TV+/Warner Bros. Television/Universal Television series Ted Lasso continues to grow. The latest step there is with the cast visiting the White House Monday to participate in a discussion on “the importance of mental health to promote overall wellbeing” with President Joe Biden and First Lady Dr. Jill Biden, as per an Apple announcement. President Biden tweeted about that Sunday, posting the above-right picture of a Ted Lasso-style “Believe” sign above a door to the Oval Office:
Tomorrow. pic.twitter.com/XPNAfqnzEj
— President Biden (@POTUS) March 19, 2023
Why is this happening? Well, as per that Apple announcement, “Ted Lasso has inspired the world through its universal themes around optimism, kindness, and determination and the Lasso philosophy to ‘believe.'” And excerpts from the event will be released on the White House’s official social media channels, so the world will be able to see at least part of this event (which isn’t called “Coach Lasso Goes To Washington,” but should be).
This is just the latest example of Ted Lasso prominence. The show’s the show’s long-anticipated third season (a poster for it is seen at right above) is currently underway. Its second episode comes out Wednesday, with further episodes set to premiere each Wednesday through the finale on May 31.
Last Wednesday’s third-season premiere was the first episode of the show to air since the Oct. 8, 2021 finale of season two. There have been many discussions of the third season as the final one for the show, but that’s not completely confirmed at this point. There’s also been discussion of ending the main show after this season but launching spinoffs instead.
Whatever the future holds for Ted Lasso, though, it’s undeniably made a massive impact. The show has become Apple TV+’s biggest hit both critically and commercially, and it’s become a key part of their streaming strategy. AppleTV+ has also gone much more into live sports since the start of Ted Lasso, particularly with a deal with MLB and a global exclusive 10-year deal with MLS. And whether or not they’ll have more Ted Lasso content (original or spinoff) after this season, they’ve certainly been able to gain a lot of subscribers from the show, boosting their sports efforts overall. And now Ted Lasso is gaining a presidential spotlight, which should boost its profile even higher.
[Variety; poster from IMDB, photo from @POTUS on Twitter]
