Ted Lasso Paydays

Sources say producers are also negotiating over the show’s licensing fees, with Warner Bros. TV’s linear rights to the Emmy-nominated comedy at the center of the talks

Cast, writers avoid season delay with hefty raises

AFC Richmond may have been relegated at the end of season one, but the cast, producers and writers of

Ted Lasso have won big when it comes to their paychecks.

Key creatives behind Apple TV+’s Emmynominated comedy series have secured hefty pay increases for its third season. Following a round of talks with producer Warner Bros. Television, star Jason Sudeikis is said to have a $1 million-an-episode payday for the series’ upcoming season, which includes fees for his role as creator, head writer and executive producer as well. That’s up from the $250,000 to $300,000 per-episode sum he earned for seasons one and two in a deal that was negotiated before Ted Lasso premiered to rave reviews and awards attention.

Co-stars and fellow Emmy nominees Hannah Waddingham (who plays Rebecca), Brett Goldstein (Roy Kent), Juno Temple (Keeley) and Brendan Hunt (Coach Beard) also earned bumps that take them from the $50,000- to $75,000-per-episode range for seasons one and two to $125,000-to-$150,000 territory, according to sources. Goldstein and Hunt also negotiated second paydays for their roles as writers and exec producers on the series, which returned for its second season this summer with what the streamer claims was six times the viewership of the series debut a year earlier. (Apple doesn’t release traditional viewership data.) Other actor deals are expected to close in the coming weeks as Warners and Apple TV+ solidify a new licensing deal, with the latter taking on added costs for the show.

The writers on Ted Lasso, which garnered 20 Emmy nominations, including outstanding comedy series and a pair of writing nods on the way to breaking Glee’s record as the most-nominated freshman show, also scored significant salary bumps.

While Apple TV+ handed out an early thirdseason renewal in October, the renegotiations with writers briefly delayed the opening of the season three room. Sources say rich new deals with all the writers — who had initially planned to start work in August — were hammered out over the Sept. 11-12 weekend, which allowed the room to begin work on season three Sept. 13. And while reps for Warners, Apple TV+, Sudeikis and showrunner Bill Lawrence declined to comment, further delays could have jeopardized Apple TV+’s intention to bring the show back in summer 2022 after the sophomore season returned July 23. Production remains scheduled to begin in January.

Lawrence, who was brought aboard for his showrunning chops, is also seeking an increase from the five-year, eight-figure overall deal he signed with Warners in late 2018 — before Ted Lasso grabbed a Peabody and the zeitgeist and the arms race for talent began in earnest. The prolific writer-producer (Scrubs, Cougar Town, Spin City), who has been based at the studio since 2011, is said to be seeking a rich new nine-figure deal for his Doozer banner. Lawrence’s camp, say sources, is looking for sizable upfront payment while also seeking to extend his tenure at the studio, where he will have at least five shows by year’s end. (He already has Clone High and Head of the Class for HBO Max, with Bad Monkey in the works at Apple TV+, and other high-profile shows expected to be announced soon that also are contributing to negotiations for his new pact with Warners.)

Warners, for its part, has also found itself looking to deep-pocketed Apple TV+ to cover the rising costs of producing the comedy. Linear rights to the series — which Warners managed to retain as part of its initial deal with Apple TV+ — are said to be at the center of the negotiations, with sources suggesting Apple TV+ is eager to keep the show exclusively and possibly buy out the linear rights that could otherwise see the studio air repeats on networks like a TNT, TBS or The CW down the line. Delaying the linear launch is also on the table, according to sources.

Further complicating negotiations is the future of the show beyond an already ordered third season. Sudeikis has been open about envisioning only three seasons for Ted Lasso, an unexpected hit that’s inspired tonal copycats all over town. Still, Sudeikis quipped during a June interview with Entertainment Weekly, when asked about the show’s future, “It’s called the iMoney truck.” He added: “The story that’s being told — that three-season arc — is one that I see, know and understood. I’m glad that they are willing to pay for those three seasons. As far as what happens after that, who knows? I don’t know.” (Lawrence told the publication he’d be down for more.)

Lawrence, along with Warners and Apple TV+, would love for Ted Lasso to continue well beyond a third season, with sources saying the new actor deals also include options for subsequent seasons. Ultimately, the future of the show is up to Sudeikis, however, a father of two who spends at least half of the year filming the show in London. “You have two companies arguing over a successful show,” notes one insider. “Do you pay a larger premium? Does the show go on longer than three seasons? If not, no. If so, yes. Linear rights are huge; what are linear rights worth for a show that runs 34 episodes?”

Lawrence