Fans of the hit Apple TV+ show Ted Lasso know the joys of cheering for AFC Richmond and its coach, and now FIFA fans will too with the addition of the show's central team into FIFA 23. Entertainment brands and icons crossing over into video games has been beneficial for both fans and the brand, and the inclusion of Ted Lasso in FIFA 23 makes way too much sense for it to not be considered a great idea.

Debuting in 2020, Ted Lasso tells the story of an American college football coach who is hired to coach the fictional club of AFC Richmond in the English Premier League, even though he knows nothing about soccer. Jason Sudekis plays the titular character, who is known for his eternal optimism and ability to create a sense of family on the teams he coaches, while strong characters like the ever-talented Jamie Tartt and the foul-mouthed Roy Kent steal the show in every scene they're in. Ted Lasso has won eight Emmy Awards in its two seasons on Apple TV, with a third season currently in production with no release date announced yet.

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Football Is Life In FIFA 23

Ted Lasso Fifa 23

With Ted Lasso now appearing in FIFA 23, fans will have something to tide them over while they wait for a Season 3 release date, and they will be able to take AFC Richmond to the Premier League title in the process. Ted Lasso will be available to choose as the manager of AFC Richmond or any other team of the player's choosing in Career Mode, and players will be able to use the AFC Richmond roster complete with stars Jamie Tartt, Roy Kent, Sam Obisanye, and Dani Rojas. Fans can also create a player and join AFC Richmond to help the Greyhounds win it all, or they can focus on Ultimate Team, where AFC Richmond items as well as Ted Lasso and Beard will be available.

Crossover promotions have been incredibly popular in the world of gaming lately, with Fortnite leading the way showcasing partnerships with Marvel, Star Wars, and more while driving fan engagement. Some crossover partnerships are a bit of a stretch, like the WWE's Undertaker in Fall Guys, but the addition of Ted Lasso and AFC Richmond to FIFA 23 makes complete sense. Fans of both the TV show and FIFA 23 will likely enjoy the chance to take control of their favorite fictional EPL club and guide them to new heights, especially if their own favorite club in the real world of soccer isn't a dominant club that's fun to play with in FIFA.

Any crossover promotion has the goal of attracting new fans to each brand involved, and there should be a clear benefit here for fans of both Ted Lasso and FIFA 23. There are a lot of fans of the TV show that have never played a FIFA game before but might want to give it a shot for the first time because they can play using AFC Richmond against the teams they have seen them compete against on the show. Likewise, FIFA 23 fans who have never seen Ted Lasso might be more motivated to go and try out Apple TV+ to see the show that so many people have been talking about now that they see AFC Richmond in FIFA. It's not nearly as forced as the Thor and Fortnite crossover, and it just works naturally for all sides.

Some crossovers are great and seem like a natural fit while others fall a bit flat or don't make sense, like when the Sopranos appeared in Skyrim. A Ted Lasso and FIFA 23 crossover seems like the former, however, as AFC Richmond plays against actual Premier League clubs on the show and the central character is so incredibly likable that fans will feel rewarded by helping him take AFC Richmond to new heights in the game. If Nate the Great isn't lurking to foil whatever great plans Ted Lasso has for AFC Richmond this year, Roy Kent and Jamie Tartt should be dominating the virtual pitch in FIFA 23 for a lot of fans this year.

FIFA 23 is set to release on September 30 for PC, PS4, PS5, Switch, Xbox One, and Xbox Series X|S.

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