5 Best Sports TV Shows Better Than Ted Lasso

1 week ago 9

Ted Lasso makes a persuasive case for being a little kinder to people. Jason Sudeikis gives its endlessly encouraging and upbeat coach enough sadness beneath the smile to keep him interesting. Critics love it too (89% on Tomatometer as of September 30, 2026). But the show can drown in its own folksy goodness, you know? The show did arrive just when we needed it: during the recent pandemic and gave us hope and optimism. And some of that gratitude may have outlasted the show’s best work.

Sports TV has room for stories with more edge. Losing can cost someone their livelihood. A team can offer belonging while also making brutal demands on its players. There are plenty of shows to watch if you loved Ted Lasso; these five shows make a case for being even better for a variety of reasons.

1 Friday Night Lights Makes Small-Town Football Feel Huge

In Dillon, Texas, there is too much faith placed on its high school football team in the sports drama series Friday Night Lights. These boys have to live up to the hopes of adults who know better. Coach Eric Taylor (Kyle Chandler) has to get them ready for games, with problems following them to the playing field.

In his role as Eric, Chandler gives him authority but never infallibility. Back home, his wife Tami (Connie Britton) has her ambitions and no room for the idea that his career comes first. That marriage gives the show its own advantage. Knowing how to take care of others does not give Eric any right to ignore his wife. The series makes us earn respect for the inspiring coach. Perfect, more abrasive alternative to Ted Lasso.

Where to Watch (USA): Paramount Plus, Prime Video

2 GLOW Takes Its Biggest Fights Outside the Wrestling Ring

a woman with big, voluminous curly brown hair and blue lipstick crouches on all fours in a wrestling ring with pink ropes. She wears a teal metallic leotard with a yellow flame design, red lace arm warmers, and red boots, and stares intently off to the side. Behind the ropes, a crowd in 1980s-style clothing watches.

Ruth Wilder (Alison Brie) has no choice but to take up this wrestling job in GLOW. Sadly, it comes at the expense of having to work alongside Debbie Eagan (Betty Gilpin), her one-time friend whom Ruth betrayed by breaking up her marriage. It’s hard to get over emotional mistrust, especially when physical trust becomes essential.

GLOW is remarkably patient with this grudge between the women. A good performance does not necessarily indicate that Debbie forgives Ruth. Nor that Ruth deserves forgiveness either. The physicality serves as an outlet for their frustration, literally sometimes. The rivalry makes for a much more interesting pairing than yet another example of working together. Cooperation and animosity can coexist. A perfect contrast to Ted Lasso.

Where to Watch (USA): Netflix

3 A League of Their Own Gives Baseball’s Outsiders Their Due

two women in vintage baseball uniforms sit on the grass under a tree, one holding a baseball and glove as she glances at the other.

The 2022 A League of Their Own series follows Carson Shaw (Abbi Jacobson) into the Rockford Peaches while Max Chapman (Chanté Adams), a talented Black player, struggles to find her own opportunity. Progress for some women leaves others waiting outside.

Who gets to become an underdog in the first place? Max cannot prove herself in a competition that excludes her. Carson’s experiences also make joining a team feel personally risky. Baseball allows her to reconsider the life she thought she wanted. The series earns its optimism by showing how much these women stand to lose before anyone starts keeping score.

Where to Watch (USA): Prime Video

4 Shoresy Loves Hockey as Much as It Loves a Good Insult

a bearded man with reddish-blond hair, wearing a black cap backward and a gray hooded sweatshirt, looks up and to the side with a wry, slightly pained expression. He stands in a kitchen with blurred cabinets and shelves behind him.

Shoresy (Jared Keeso) would make a terrible ambassador for polite conversation in the Shoresy sports drama series. He is also exactly the person you want beside you when losing starts to feel inevitable.

His insults are relentless, but so is his commitment to hockey. The comedy comes from someone who knows the sport intimately and cannot tolerate teammates treating it casually. Showing up and doing the work can say plenty. Occasionally, so can knowing precisely which insult will get under a friend’s skin.

Where to Watch (USA): Hulu

5 Brockmire Makes a Baseball Announcer’s Worst Days Hilarious

a dark-haired man in a red and gray plaid sport coat, white shirt, red tie, and red carnation boutonniere sits at a vintage microphone in a broadcast booth. He looks off to the side with a weary, quizzical expression. A glass of whiskey and a bottle sit on the desk beside him.

Jim Brockmire (Hank Azaria) sounds like someone you can trust to call a baseball game in the sports drama series Brockmire. Trusting him with much else would be unwise.

After a public meltdown wrecks his career, the announcer attempts a comeback in the minor leagues. Azaria’s immaculate delivery makes Jim’s vulgarity even funnier: every appalling confession sounds ready for broadcast. But this sports drama series also makes room for how exhausting Jim is to love. Talent cannot excuse him forever. His recovery involves setbacks that hurt other people.

Where to Watch (USA): Prime Video

Which sports show would you put above Ted Lasso? Let us know in the comments.

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