Overview
- Jason Sudeikis and Brendan Hunt appeared in character as Ted Lasso and Coach Beard during the World Cup Final halftime on Sunday and theatrically 'substituted' Justin Bieber into the show.
- During the sketch Coach Beard held a substitute board showing 'JB' with a taped 'BELIEBE' sign and Sudeikis told Bieber, "Go out there, don't be nervous, nobody's watching," framing the moment as a comic pep talk.
- The Lasso bit was one segment of an unprecedented roughly 12-minute halftime set that also featured Madonna, the Muppets, BTS and Shakira and took place with the match between Argentina and Spain at a 0-0 halftime score.
- Broad coverage noted the appearance functioned as timely marketing for the series, which returns for a new season in early August on Apple TV+ after a multi-year gap.
- The stunt highlights a growing blend of sports and entertainment by using a fictional TV character inside a live global sporting event, a move likely to sharpen future cross-promotion between broadcasters and streaming shows.