Updated

Updated · Deadline · Oct 8

Brandi Carlile Sings 30-Second 'Ted Lasso' Finale Theme as Season 4 Opens on a Somber Note

Updated

Updated · Deadline · Oct 8

Brandi Carlile Sings 30-Second 'Ted Lasso' Finale Theme as Season 4 Opens on a Somber Note

Q: Will Brandi Carlile's moody Ted Lasso theme song officially hit streaming platforms after its emotional Season 4 finale debut?

Not yet. As of the reporting around the Season 4 finale, there was no official announcement that Brandi Carlile’s full Ted Lasso theme had been released or scheduled for release on streaming platforms. What is clear is that Brendan Hunt strongly wants it to happen. In interviews with Deadline and Variety, Hunt said he had heard the full-length recording, called it “staggering,” said it brought him to tears, and expressed hope that Apple would put it on streaming services. That wording matters: he was describing a wish, not confirming a release plan. The available reporting also indicates the finale only used about 30 seconds of Carlile’s version in the opening credits, even though a complete recording exists. Neither Apple TV+ nor Apple Music was cited as formally confirming a standalone soundtrack release for the track at that time. So the best answer is that a streaming release is possible and clearly being encouraged internally by the show’s creative team, but it had not been officially confirmed in the coverage tied to the finale.

Q: Why was Brandi Carlile chosen to reshape the iconic Ted Lasso theme, and how does it connect to women's football?

Brandi Carlile was chosen because the finale needed a different emotional tone and because she fit a longer-term creative idea for the series. Brendan Hunt said the usual upbeat theme would have felt jarring after the episode’s funeral scene, so the producers wanted a more restrained, mournful version. Carlile was a natural choice because she is friends with Jason Sudeikis, had already contributed music to the show, and agreed to record a new take that Hunt said was powerful enough to move him to tears. Her casting also carried symbolic weight beyond the finale’s mood. Hunt said Sudeikis had wanted for some time to have the theme reflect the show’s shift from the men’s side of AFC Richmond to the women’s team. Carlile became the first woman to sing the Ted Lasso theme, making the change feel like a deliberate handoff rather than just a musical variation. That is how the cover connects to women’s football: it mirrors the series’ growing focus on the women’s game. By putting a woman’s voice on the show’s most recognizable song, the finale underscored that Ted Lasso is now telling a different football story, one centered increasingly on AFC Richmond’s women. Hunt has said it is unclear whether Carlile’s darker arrangement will remain the regular theme if the series continues, because its somber tone may not suit every episode.

3 articles · Updated · Deadline · Oct 8

Apple TV’s Season 4 finale swapped in an alternate “Ted Lasso Theme,” with 11-time Grammy winner Brandi Carlile singing a haunting 30-second version over the opening credits.
Brendan Hunt said the change was made because the usual upbeat Marcus Mumford theme would have felt too abrupt after Mae’s wake, and the team first tested Jeff Tweedy’s simpler Season 2 cover.
Carlile got the assignment through her friendship with Jason Sudeikis and prior work on the show; Hunt said he has heard a full-length version and hopes it reaches streaming.
The cover marks only the second alternate use of the theme and the first time a woman has performed it, fitting the show’s newer focus on a women’s football team.
Hunt suggested the melancholy rendition is unlikely to become the default if the series returns, saying its funereal tone may not suit every future episode.