Ted Lasso, co-developed by Jason Sudeikis and starring him in the titular role, is a sports-comedy drama that has till now spanned three seasons, with the latest iteration having released earlier this year. Over the years, the Apple TV+ show has garnered critical praise and won the leading star and showrunner multiple accolades, including several Emmys.
Despite struggling on the critical front with its episode-wise progression, the show’s latest season was well-watched amongst consumers of the streaming platform.
Read more: Ted Lasso Star Confirms Spin-Off Will Happen Only Under One Condition!
It even set several records in streaming numbers. However, as per recent December 29th, 2023 data, the Sudeikis-led premise couldn’t place itself in the top three rankings of Apple TV+ shows when it concerns audience engagement. Instead, the statistics show three recent/ongoing releases taking the highest standings.
In light of this, Ted Lasso‘s sustained ability to hold the audience’s retention seems to highlight an impressive feat.
Ted Lasso Ranks As The #4 Apple TV+ Series By Audience Engagement
Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso has landed in fourth place among the top ten Apple TV+ series, sorted by online audience activity, according to data collected by Television Stats on December 29th, 2023. The shows succeeding are recent/ongoing endeavors.
On the first spot, boasting the triumph of keeping viewers the most engaged, is Monarch: Legacy of Monsters, which premiered its first season on November 17, 2023. Gary Oldman’s Slow Horses, presumably with the release of its third season in late 2023, has kept the consumers hooked and stands tall at #2.
At number three is For All Mankind, which is observing its fourth season and has yet to release a few more episodes in the upcoming weeks. And lastly, as mentioned, Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso holds the fourth position. For a show whose recent season launched a few months back, with the last episode of the installment hitting the platform on May 31, 2023, the sports-comedy’s longevity among online users is commendable!
The three-season-spanning show continues to relish its popularity, irrespective of the mixed critical reception it received during the episode-wise progression of the third iteration.
Jason Sudeikis’ Ted Lasso Season 3 Received A Mixed Reception
Unlike its charming predecessors, the third installment of the Jason Sudeikis-led Ted Lasso was faced with a mixed critical reception upon the progression of its narrative. Where the first season enjoyed an approval rating of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes and the second a whopping 98%, the third season fell short of triumphing above the previous iterations. While by no means the worst attempt in TV history, the recent season scored 82%.
Several reviewers expressed dissatisfaction with Ted Lasso‘s Season 3, saying it felt “tedious” compared to the first two parts. Character arcs were found to have been inconsistent, and several subplots received poor evaluations.
Such assessments couldn’t stop the series from setting streaming records, though.
Read more: Hannah Waddingham Ready to Fight Jason Sudeikis to Keep Ted Lasso Alive After Season 3 Finale
As per Nielsen (via THR), between the week of May 29–June 4, audiences viewed 1.24 billion minutes of the Jason Sudeikis-led sports comedy. This was reported to be the first time an Apple TV+ show has transcended one billion minutes. A mind-blowing 529 million of these minutes were accounted for by the Season 3 finale!
Based on viewer demand, Ted Lasso Season 3 was also explicitly rated as the leading comedy in the world by Parrot Analytics (via Deadline). Data from different sources have also maintained and demonstrated that the show became the most-watched TV show on Apple TV+, which serves as a reminder of the popularity of the three-season-spanning series.
Many have speculated the show’s future, with names attached to the endeavor alluding to a three-season arc to be Ted Lasso‘s ultimate fate. Jason Sudeikis’ did imply with a few statements that potential spin-offs may always be on the table, but for now, the story the team planned to tell with Ted Lasso has reached its conclusion.
What the star could tell us currently would remain limited, even if there was a future (via Deadline).
Ted Lasso (2020-2023) is available for streaming on Apple TV+.
