‘Football Isn’t Just a Game’: Ted Lasso, utopia and the issue of sportswashing

The Apple TV+ series Ted Lasso (2020–23) presents a utopian vision of English football, which embodies both the positive and negative connotations inherent to utopian storytelling in entertainment and sports fiction more specifically. Using the example of a Premier League club, Ted Lasso presents an escapist and feel-good narrative, promoting values such as empathy, kindness and community to overcome personal challenges, something that was particularly valuable for many viewers during the COVID-19 pandemic. At the same time, it neglects structural and institutional shortcomings in English football, such as sportswashing, racism and homophobia, while sharing financial interests with the Premier League and thus running the risk of absolving it of some of its shortcomings.