NWSL commissioner credits Ted Lasso season four with lifting women's football into mainstream culture

NWSL commissioner Jessica Berman has credited Ted Lasso’s fourth season with broadening the cultural reach of women’s football, arguing the show has sparked interest well outside the league’s existing audience.

The latest season of the Apple TV comedy shifts its focus to AFC Richmond’s women’s side, the Lady Greyhounds, and incorporates the real-life Kansas City Current and their home ground, CPKC Stadium, into the storyline. Berman, who has led the NWSL since 2022, described watching the opening episode as one of her proudest moments in the role.

“One of the many proud moments that I had in the last four and a half years was seeing that first episode of Ted Lasso and watching Keeley at CPKC Stadium have her epiphany about women’s soccer being a catalyst for growth,” Berman said. “And then taking that back to England — it was just such a great story. Such a feel-good moment. Of course, I am a Ted Lasso fan anyway.”

The scene in question sees Keeley Jones, played by Juno Temple, visit CPKC Stadium alongside Rebecca Welton and Leslie Higgins, before recognising the potential of a dedicated women’s stadium for AFC Richmond. The season then follows the growth of the club’s women’s team, placing it at the centre of the narrative.

Berman said the effect has been tangible. “What we’ve seen as a result is not just my excitement, but a lot of uplift in cultural relevance and references outside of the typical women’s soccer and NWSL world to the sport and to the NWSL,” she added.

By weaving a real NWSL club into a globally recognised fictional universe, the show has effectively served as an extended piece of cultural marketing for the league — one that reaches audiences unlikely to seek out match coverage directly.

Berman also praised the NWSL’s broader collaboration with Apple, describing the experience as “incredibly fun”. The league has grown significantly on her watch in terms of media rights, commercial partnerships and public visibility.

She made the remarks at Leaders Week London, the sports industry conference held at Stamford Bridge.