Jason Sudeikis Scores Nearly $1 Million Per Episode Deal For 'Ted Lasso' Season 3
Sept. 13 2021, Published 3:34 p.m. ET
Jason Sudeikis has reportedly closed a deal that will score him almost $1 million an episode for the upcoming third season of his hit show Ted Lasso.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Sudeikis recently closed the deal for season three of the Apple TV sitcom that will make him one of the highest-earning actors on television.
The new sum also reportedly includes fees and compensation for both his role as the show’s head writer as well as his role as executive producer.
This new deal is up from the $250,000-$300,000 per-episode deal Sudeikis was earning for seasons one and two of the Apple TV hit show – a deal that was originally negotiated prior to Ted Lasso premiering to excellent reviews. The show currently has a 95 percent and 91 percent rating among both critics and viewers on RottenTomatoes.com.
Ted Lasso is only the latest show to be renegotiating deals after season two, especially because of the rave reviews it earned from both critics and viewers alike. Although Apple officially announced a renewal for season 3 last October, the renegotiations with all the writers involved in the show’s production allegedly delayed the opening of the season three writer’s room.
Sources also told the outlet that the much-deserved new deals for all the writers were finalized over the weekend, only days before the new September 13th start date. If there were any further delays on the show due to renegotiations between the company and the writers, Apple’s intention to air season 3 of the show during the summer of 2022 could have been seriously jeopardized.
With writing for season 3 beginning Monday, it seems production for season 3 is still on schedule to begin this coming January.
“It’s called the iMoney truck,” Sudeikis joked in a June interview after being asked about the future of the show. “But 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.”
But sources also told the outlet that the show’s showrunner Bill Lawrence, Warner Bros. Television, and Apple are all hoping for Ted Lasso to continue beyond a third season, and how these newest deals with the show’s writers and actors also include options for more seasons. Nonetheless, the future of the show is reportedly entirely up to Sudeikis - although stopping the series after the third season reportedly has the potential to create problems of its own.
“You have two companies arguing over a successful show,” one insider told The Hollywood Reporter. “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?”
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Representatives for Warner Bros., Apple, Sudeikis, and Lawrence have yet to comment on both the new deals reached this weekend or the future of the show after season 3.
