If you go back and watch the ted lasso season 1 trailer today, it feels like looking at a childhood photo of a friend before they got a life-changing haircut. You recognize the face, but the vibe is just... different.
Back in July 2020, Apple TV+ dropped a two-minute clip that, on paper, looked like a recipe for a massive flop. We saw a mustache, heard a twangy Kansas accent, and watched a guy confuse "football" with "soccer." It looked like a one-note joke stretched way too thin. Honestly, most of us thought we were getting a 10-episode version of those old NBC Sports commercials from 2013. We were wrong.
The trailer basically set a trap. It marketed a broad, fish-out-of-water comedy, but it hid the soul of what would become a global cultural phenomenon.
The Bait and Switch of the First Trailer
When the ted lasso season 1 trailer first hit YouTube on July 14, 2020, the world was in a weird place. We were stuck inside, sports were mostly cancelled, and "pessimism" was the default setting for everyone.
Then comes Ted.
The trailer opens with Ted and Coach Beard on a plane, heading to London. The music is upbeat—specifically the song "Underdog" by Spoon. It’s punchy. It’s indie-rock. It screams, "Hey, look at this wacky guy who doesn't know what he's doing!"
Apple leaned hard into the "American Idiot" trope. We see Ted discovering that England and Wales are different countries. We see him realize that "ties" actually exist in soccer (to his horror). We see him call tea "hot brown water." These are all funny beats, but they didn't scream "prestige television."
In fact, some critics were outright skeptical. The Guardian’s early review called the premise "grindingly unfunny" based on those early looks. They saw the tropes—the angry fans calling him a "wanker," the vindictive owner, the arrogant star player—and assumed the show would be as shallow as a kiddie pool.
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But if you look closely at the ted lasso season 1 trailer, the hints of greatness were actually there. They were just quiet.
Hidden Gems in the 2020 Teaser
There’s a specific moment in the trailer that shifts the tone, even if we didn't realize it at the time. Ted is standing on the pitch, and he says:
"For me, success is not about the wins and losses. It’s about helping these young fellas be the best versions of themselves on and off the field."
In any other sitcom, that’s a throwaway line. A platitude. But in the context of the show, that’s the entire thesis statement.
The trailer also gave us our first glimpse of the Richmond atmosphere. We saw Rebecca Welton (Hannah Waddingham) looking imposing and ice-cold. We saw Roy Kent (Brett Goldstein) looking like he wanted to headbutt a wall. We saw Jamie Tartt (Phil Dunster) being... well, Jamie Tartt.
What the trailer didn't show was the vulnerability. It didn't show Ted’s panic attacks. It didn't show the heartbreaking reason Rebecca wanted to burn the club down. It didn't show the "Diamond Dogs."
It’s actually a masterclass in "misleading" marketing that works in the creator's favor. By setting the bar at "wacky sports comedy," the show was able to absolutely floor audiences when it turned out to be a deeply emotional exploration of masculinity, forgiveness, and radical kindness.
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Why the Music Choice Mattered
The use of Spoon’s "Underdog" in the ted lasso season 1 trailer was a stroke of genius. It gave the show an "indie" credibility that helped it stand out from typical network sitcoms.
Music is the heartbeat of this series. While the trailer used Spoon, the actual season 1 soundtrack features everything from Marcus Mumford (who wrote the theme) to the Sex Pistols and even Lizzo.
By the time the trailer ends with Ted spitting out tea, the audience is primed for a joke. But the "Lasso Way" mentioned in the clip—"Richmond are changing the way we do things, and from now on, that way is the Lasso way"—turned out to be a philosophy that people actually started applying to their real lives.
What Really Happened After the Drop
When the show actually premiered on August 14, 2020, the conversation changed almost instantly. The first three episodes dropped at once, and word of mouth started spreading like wildfire.
People realized that the guy in the ted lasso season 1 trailer wasn't a buffoon. He was smart. He was intentional. He used his "folksy" charm as a shield and a tool.
The trailer promised a clash of cultures. The show delivered a bridge between them.
Key Elements You Might Have Missed
If you re-watch the trailer now, keep an eye out for these specific details:
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- The "Believe" Sign: It’s there, but it isn't the icon it became later. It’s just a piece of yellow paper.
- Nate the Great: Nick Mohammed appears briefly, looking terrified. The trailer gives no hint of the massive, Shakespearean arc his character would eventually take.
- The Invisible Steering Wheel: Ted’s joke about the car having an invisible steering wheel (because they drive on the other side) is one of the few gags from the trailer that actually feels like the "commercial" version of Ted.
Honestly, it’s rare for a trailer to be so different in spirit from the final product without being a disappointment. Usually, when a trailer "lies," the audience gets mad. With Ted Lasso, the audience was relieved. We expected a burger and got a five-course meal.
Actionable Insights for Fans and Creators
Whether you're a die-hard Richmond fan or a creator looking to market your own work, there's a lot to learn from the ted lasso season 1 trailer.
First, don't show your whole hand. Apple kept the emotional core of the show a secret, which allowed the "heart" to be a surprise discovery for viewers. This created a sense of ownership among early fans—they felt like they'd found a "hidden gem."
Second, leverage existing IP carefully. The character of Ted Lasso already existed in NBC promos. The trailer leaned into that familiarity to get people in the door, then completely subverted expectations once they were seated.
If you haven't seen the show in a while, go back and watch that original trailer. Then, watch the pilot again. The contrast is fascinating. It’s a reminder that first impressions—especially two-minute ones on YouTube—rarely tell the whole story.
For those looking to relive the magic or dive in for the first time, you can find the original ted lasso season 1 trailer on Apple TV+'s official YouTube channel. It’s a 134-second trip down memory lane that proves just how much can change when you actually give someone a chance.
Keep an eye on the background characters in those early frames, too. Seeing Sam Obisanya or Keeley Jones for those few fleeting seconds, knowing where they end up by season 3, is one of the most satisfying "full circle" moments in modern TV history.
To get the most out of your re-watch, pay attention to the dialogue in the trailer versus the final script changes. Some of the delivery in the teaser is slightly punchier or timed differently than the episodes, providing a cool look into the final editing process of a hit show.
Next Steps for You
- Watch the Trailer: Head over to YouTube and search for the "Ted Lasso Season 1 Official Trailer" to see the contrast for yourself.
- Compare the Music: Listen to the Spoon track "Underdog" and then the Marcus Mumford theme song to see how the "energy" of the show evolved from marketing to broadcast.
- Start a Re-watch: Put on the Pilot episode and see how quickly the show moves past the "wacky American" jokes featured in the teaser.