Since Rocky is a drama about boxing and Ted Lasso is a comedy series about soccer, I’ve never really compared the two. So, I was shocked to learn that drawing a parallel between them actually helped the Ted Lasso team sell their show. However, after thinking about it, this all makes perfect sense. I totally see why Jason Sudeikis was quick to compare his great Apple TV series to one of the greatest sports movies ever made when they were trying to get it off the ground.
Before we get to the Rocky of it all, you need to know that Ted Lasso was co-created by Jason Sudeikis, Brendan Hunt, Joe Kelly and Bill Lawrence. Once Lawrence, who is also the creator of shows like Scrubs and Shrinking, was on board, this soccer comedy really “got moving,” as Hunt explained on 60 Minutes. It was the Shrinking co-creator who also made an important note about Ted Lasso not really being about soccer, as the Coach Beard actor explained:
Yeah, he basically pounded the table and shouted that very early. In our writers’ sessions, he was like, ‘It’s not a soccer show! This is a workplace ensemble comedy.’ But that’s kinda been a guiding principle, you know? It takes place in the soccer world, but it’s never about the soccer at all.
He’s right, yes, Ted Lasso has soccer matches, and yes, the story is based around a team. However, it’s not really about the sport. It’s more so about the work these people do together, the lessons they learn from each other, and, most importantly, the relationships and friendships they’ve developed. You know what other project is like that? Rocky, as Jason Sudeikis pointed out:
The thing I was saying in the pitch meetings when me and Bill went out was like, ‘This show’s as much about soccer as Rocky is about boxing.’
Rocky and its lessons transcend boxing. That’s because it’s a triumphant underdog story (even though he loses), it’s a romance between Rocky and Adrian, and it’s ultimately a tale about perseverance and self-worth. The themes of this film are universal and relatable, and the story they’re highlighted through happens to be set in the world of boxing.
Ted Lasso is similar; it transcends soccer (I mean football). It’s a story about friendship and family. It also highlights the importance of mental health and found family. There’s even a healthy dose of romance. Overall, while there are matches that are central to the story, we really don’t watch that much soccer and the show’s not terribly concerned with a player’s stats. It’s more about the people on the team, their lives on and off the pitch, and the way they impact each other.
That’s why so many people can relate to it, I assume, because Ted Lasso is full of universal stories and lessons. Rocky is that way too, so I can see why Jason Sudeikis used it as a point of reference when they were selling the show.
Now, we’ll get to see if that stays true, as Ted Lasso is set to return on the 2026 TV schedule for Season 4 on August 5. You can stream that (and the first three seasons) with an Apple TV subscription. Also, to see exactly why this comparison is fitting, make sure to stream Rocky with a Netflix subscription. Trust me, it makes sense.
