Ted Lasso Films at Negro Leagues Museum in Kansas City

When Ted Lasso returns to screens in 2026, the beloved soccer comedy will shine a spotlight on one of America's most important cultural landmarks.

The show filmed multiple episodes at the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum in Kansas City, thanks to star Jason Sudeikis' deep connection to his hometown. The Emmy winner grew up in Kansas City's suburbs as a devoted Royals fan and history lover, making the museum a natural fit for the internationally acclaimed series.

Museum president Bob Kendrick first met Sudeikis at a city holiday event in 2022. The two instantly connected over Kansas City's role as the birthplace of Black baseball in America. "We kind of hit it off," Kendrick recalls. "You see him now representing the Kansas City Monarchs, wearing his Monarchs gear proudly."

The storyline draws a fascinating parallel between racial barriers in baseball and English soccer. Like Major League Baseball's unwritten ban on Black players, English soccer operated under a "gentlemen's agreement" that excluded Black athletes until the 1950s and 60s. Both sports even had all-Black teams formed in response to racism.

"They were looking at the history of the Negro Leagues and comparing it to the history of soccer," Kendrick explains. "It forms a tremendous kind of odd, but interesting parallel." For a show that tackles important societal issues through humor and heart, the connection makes perfect sense.

The Ripple Effect: Sudeikis shut down the entire museum for filming and brought his family to experience Kansas City. Kendrick even got an impromptu soccer education, watching the English women's team win a nail-biting shootout alongside the cast. "I don't know a whole lot about soccer, but hell, then I started to get into it," he laughs.

The exposure could transform the museum's reach. "It's going to introduce the museum to a lot of people who are fans of his show, but likely who have never heard of the Negro Leagues Baseball Museum," Kendrick says. For a landmark that preserves a crucial period in American history, that visibility matters deeply.

Kendrick turned down a cameo role because he was recovering from knee surgery, but he's counting down to 2026. Having a hometown star champion the museum on an international platform feels special. "To have one of your own tout why this place is so important, and to see fit that it's written into the script, man, it's just so special."

When Ted Lasso brings Kansas City's baseball history to millions of living rooms worldwide, it will remind us that honoring our past helps build a better future.