The Unusual Reason Ted Lasso Season 3's Release Date May Be Delayed

The first season of "Ted Lasso" was truly the definition of a sleeper hit. A TV series about a character Jason Sudeikis played in a few commercials? How would that even work? 

And yet, the uplifting comedy proved to not only be one of the most popular television series of 2020, it also managed to earn unprecedented levels of critical acclaim (via Rotten Tomatoes). In its first year of eligibility, "Ted Lasso" was nominated for a total of 20 Emmy Awards, breaking a record previously set by "Glee" in 2010 (via CNN). Of those 20 nominations, the series managed to walk away with seven different awards, including three for on-screen talent.

The second season, which aired in 2021, also earned the love and adoration of fans and critics alike (via Rotten Tomatoes). Notably, the season ended with a shocking cliffhanger. Disappointed with his treatment over the course of the last season, Nathan "Nate the Great" Shelley (Nick Mohammed) betrayed Ted and all of Richmond by resigning his position as assistant coach and signing on as the new head coach of West Ham United, the recently purchased team of Rupert Mannion (Anthony Head). 

As the season came to a close, many were left screaming at their televisions for more. Alas, it sounds like those fans are destined to remain screaming for just a bit longer than expected.

Though the summer months of August and July have previously served as the typical release window for the series, "Ted Lasso" fans are probably going to be waiting a bit longer for Season 3. According to a TVLine interview with "Ted Lasso" co-creator and Coach Beard actor Brendan Hunt, the series isn't expected to meet that sort of a schedule this time around.

"We're in pre-production and scripts are written," Hunt told TVLine. So, if the scripts are written and pre-production is moving, what's the reason for the holdup? Well, it turns out the production phase of a series is actually mighty important (who'd a thunk it, right?). And, for a series about football, this is especially true when it comes to shooting football scenes. As Hunt put it, a "football wrinkle" is the reason for the delay, though he admits he still doesn't know exactly when that side of the process is expected to commence.

"We are definitely starting later this year than in Season 2, that's for sure," Hunt said. Then, in a quote that sounds as if it came straight from Coach Beard himself, Hunt also said, "I do have a vague understanding of the limits of this dimension we call time, and I would say it seems pretty unlikely that we would [premiere] as early this year."

In the meantime, the first two seasons of "Ted Lasso" remain available for streaming on Apple TV+.