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The League

The League

2009–2015Ended7 seasons84 episodes~22 min/epTV-MAMidcredits score: 91st percentile of all shows

The League is an American sitcom and semi-improvised comedy about a about a fantasy football league and its members and their everyday lives.

Your rating, lists and review

Where to watch

Where can I watch The League?

As of October 24, 2026, MovieCove lists The League streaming on Hulu and to rent or buy on Apple TV and Prime Video.

Subscription

Rent / Buy

BuyBuy

Highlights

What stands out about The League?

The League earns 7 badges, led by Universally Loved and Top 10% of shows.

  • Rank
  • Reception
  • Craft and mood
  • Cast

Reception

Is The League worth watching?

The League's Midcredits score is the 91st percentile of all shows, from 55K ratings across 2 sources. 89% liked it (rated it 7 or higher out of 10).

Midcredits score

How well it was received

91st percentile

Better received than 91% of shows

90th percentile among Comedy86th percentile among 2000s
Acclaim (how much people like it)86th
Approval (how many liked it)91st

Acclaim

Universally Loved: Rating-distribution shape vs the catalog

How much people like it

79 /100

86th percentile of all shows

87th percentile among Comedy81st percentile among 2000s

Rating distribution

Most people land high, with a thin tail of low scores from those it didn't reach.

Approval

How many liked it

89% liked it

91st percentile of all shows

90th percentile among Comedy88th percentile among 2000s
89% rated it 7–1011% rated it 1–6

Reach

How many have seen it

97th percentile

55K ratings across platforms

96th percentile among Comedy94th percentile among 2000s
TMDB popularity, last 37 days to Oct 26Down 16% in 30 days

What reviewers say

Common ground

A comedy about a fantasy football league that relies on crude, boundary-pushing humor and unlikable characters behaving badly toward each other.

Fans praised

  • brilliantly raunchy humor that lands consistently
  • improvisational dialogue gives natural, unforced comedy
  • strong cast chemistry with memorable character dynamics

Detractors panned

  • shock-value toilet humor and recycled sex jokes
  • mean-spirited characters with no redeeming qualities
  • quality nosedives after season 4 with repetitive gags

What stands out

DialogueDivisive75

fast, quotable, high ratio of improvisation; detractors call it lazy and repetitive

ActingDivisive75

natural chemistry especially among Duplass, Kroll, Scheer; detractors call some performers wooden or grating

CharactersDivisive55

unlikeable but distinctive personalities; Andre as perpetual target divides sharply

OriginalityDivisive45

fresh premise of fantasy football banter, but formula wears thin quickly

Plot and story40

thinner as seasons progress, NFL/fantasy football provides loose structure

HumorDivisive0

raunchy sophomoric humor lands heavily for fans; detractors find it juvenile and shock-dependent

Preferred by

Women vs men

Preferred by Men

Men scored it 21 points higher than women.

Under-30s vs over-30s

Preferred by Over-30s

Over-30s scored it 14 points higher than under-30s.

Critics vs users

Preferred by Users

Users scored it 20 points higher than critics.

No notable difference between the other groups: each pair ranks it within 10 percentile points.

  • US vs non-US 8 points apart

Episodes

7 seasons

Season 7 · 2015 · 13 episodes

  • S7E1

    That Other Draft

    Sep 9, 201522 min
  • S7E2

    The Draft of Innocence

    Sep 16, 201522 min
  • S7E3

    The Blind Spot

    Sep 23, 201522 min
  • S7E4

    Deflategate

    Sep 30, 201522 min
  • S7E5

    The Bully

    Oct 7, 201522 min
  • S7E6

    The Beer Mile

    Oct 14, 201522 min

Watch experience

What is The League like to watch?

Conclusions only — categories and positions, no plot detail.

Ironic, light and gentle — an even-paced watch that leaves you entertained.

ToneFeelDemandexact position · filled zone: the category

What it asks of you

What it feels like

Moods
AbsurdJoyful
Heaviest: throughout
Cringe humor
Register
Satirical · 5% of showsIrreverent · 2% of showsAbsurdist · 6% of shows: Deliberately illogical; embraces nonsense.
Told as
Resets each episode · 10% of showsStatus quo each season
ToneThe show holds its material at a knowing, ironic distance — the characters' cruelty and absurdity are played for laughs, never for genuine drama.
The rideThe series maintains a consistently light, manic energy from start to finish, with rare dips into more heartfelt moments that never disrupt the comic tone.
StructureThe show follows a standard sitcom reset structure with self-contained, linear episodes.
Episode formatEach episode presents a new comic conflict (often related to the fantasy league) that is largely resolved by the end, with the status quo restored.
Season formatSeasons are largely interchangeable, with the core dynamics established early and continuing through the run; any season is an entry point.

How it leaves you

what you carry away
FunWistful · 6% of shows
Why it leaves you this wayThe show leaves you entertained and grinning from the rapid-fire insults and absurd situations, with an occasional gentle longing for the camaraderie beneath the cruelty.
How it ends · evidence
Happy ending

Story archetype

where it sits among all shows
Monster — 18% of shows. A threat menaces the hero's world and must be defeated.Rags — 3% of shows. A rise from lowliness to fortune, status, or recognition.Quest — 6% of shows. A journey toward a defined objective, with companions and obstacles.Voyage — 2% of shows. Into a strange world and back again, changed.Comedy — 12% of shows. Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony.Tragedy — 4% of shows. A flaw or fixation drives the protagonist to ruin.Rebirth — 7% of shows. A stalled or darkened life reopened and renewed.Mystery — 8% of shows. A question drives the story — who did it, what happened, what is real — until it is answered.No archetype — 40% of showsPredator — 7% of shows. A creature or killer hunts the protagonists (Jaws, Alien).Tyrant — 3% of shows. A human villain holds power over the hero's world (Die Hard).Invasion — 2% of shows. An external force attacks the home or world (Independence Day).Oppressive state — 3% of shows. A government, its agencies or a secret faction inside them is the monster (V for Vendetta).Corporate villainy — 1% of shows. A company or its bosses are the monster (Erin Brockovich).Institutional injustice — 1% of shows. A court, prison, police force, school or church is itself the enemy (Spotlight).Class system — under 1% of shows. The gap between rich and poor, or a rigid hierarchy, is the monster (Parasite).Technology turns — under 1% of shows. Technology people rely on becomes the threat (The Terminator).Inner demon — 1% of shows. The monster is within — addiction, illness, a dark double.Underdog triumph — 2% of shows. Rise through competition or contest (Rocky).Social ascent — 1% of shows. A climb in class or status (Pretty Woman).Fame and fortune — under 1% of shows. An artistic or showbiz rise (A Star Is Born).Rise and fall — under 1% of shows. Wealth or power gained, self lost (Scarface).Hidden worth revealed — under 1% of shows. The protagonist's true value finally recognized.Treasure hunt — 1% of shows. Retrieve an object of value (Raiders of the Lost Ark).Rescue — 2% of shows. Retrieve or save a person (Saving Private Ryan).Mission — 4% of shows. Accomplish or destroy a defined objective (Mission: Impossible).Journey home — under 1% of shows. The goal is getting back (Finding Nemo).Pilgrimage — under 1% of shows. The journey itself transforms; the destination is symbolic.Portal fantasy — under 1% of shows. Transported into another world (The Wizard of Oz).Fish out of water — 1% of shows. Displaced into an unfamiliar social world (Elf).Survival ordeal — under 1% of shows. Trapped in a hostile environment, fighting back (Cast Away).Time displacement — under 1% of shows. Unstuck in time (Back to the Future).Descent — under 1% of shows. A night-journey into an underworld or subculture (After Hours).Romantic comedy — 2% of shows. Lovers kept apart by confusion, united at last.Comedy of errors — 3% of shows. Mistaken identity or misunderstanding drives the plot.Farce — 2% of shows. Escalating absurd chaos and coincidence (The Hangover).Buddy comedy — 1% of shows. A mismatched pair forced together (Rush Hour).Comedy of manners — 2% of shows. Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).Hubris — 1% of shows. Pride or ambition invites the fall (There Will Be Blood).Obsession — under 1% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Corruption arc — 1% of shows. Step-by-step moral decay (The Godfather).Doomed love — 1% of shows. Love destroyed by circumstance (Brokeback Mountain).Crushed by fate — 1% of shows. Destroyed by forces beyond the protagonist's control.Redemption — 1% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Healing — 3% of shows. Recovery from grief or trauma (Good Will Hunting).Liberation — 2% of shows. Breaking free of a confining life (Room).Second chance — 1% of shows. A stagnant life re-opened to love or purpose (Groundhog Day).Puzzle — 1% of shows. A clue-by-clue puzzle you can try to solve before the reveal (Knives Out, Clue).Investigation — 6% of shows. A long pursuit of the truth that may never be fully solved (Zodiac, Memories of Murder).Enigma — 1% of shows. The mystery is what is real, or what is actually happening (Mulholland Drive).Comedy
Every story archetype, clockwise from the top
  • Monster 18%: Predator 7% · Tyrant 3% · Invasion 2% · Oppressive state 3% · Corporate villainy 1% · Institutional injustice 1% · Class system under 1% · Technology turns under 1% · Inner demon 1%
  • Rags 3%: Underdog triumph 2% · Social ascent 1% · Fame and fortune under 1% · Rise and fall under 1% · Hidden worth revealed under 1%
  • Quest 6%: Treasure hunt 1% · Rescue 2% · Mission 4% · Journey home under 1% · Pilgrimage under 1%
  • Voyage 2%: Portal fantasy under 1% · Fish out of water 1% · Survival ordeal under 1% · Time displacement under 1% · Descent under 1%
  • Comedy 12% (this title): Romantic comedy 2% · Comedy of errors 3% · Farce 2% · Buddy comedy 1% · Comedy of manners 2% (this title)
  • Tragedy 4%: Hubris 1% · Obsession under 1% · Corruption arc 1% · Doomed love 1% · Crushed by fate 1%
  • Rebirth 7%: Redemption 1% · Healing 3% · Liberation 2% · Second chance 1%
  • Mystery 8%: Puzzle 1% · Investigation 6% · Enigma 1%
  • No archetype 40%

Comedy: Confusion and cross-purposes resolved into harmony. · Comedy of manners: Social codes and class satirized (Clueless).

12% of shows fit this archetype

A loose fit — the map only half-holds this one.

Why this archetypeA typical episode follows the friends' schemes to outdo each other in the fantasy league or in personal life, driven by petty rivalry and absurdity.

What it's about

7 groups · 53 themes
Bonds — 31% of showsSelf — 27% of showsPower — 7% of showsMorality — 11% of showsSurvival — 9% of showsSociety — 10% of showsIdeas — 5% of showsRomantic love — 10% of showsMarriage — 2% of showsFamily bonds — 22% of showsParenthood — 1% of showsFriendship — 18% of showsLoyalty — 7% of showsIdentity — 20% of showsComing of age — 9% of showsAging — under 1% of showsSelf-worth — 7% of showsAmbition — 14% of showsPurpose — 16% of showsMemory — 3% of showsObsession — 2% of shows. A fixation consumes the protagonist (Black Swan).Power — 5% of showsCorruption — 3% of showsGreed — 2% of showsClass — 4% of showsOppression — 2% of showsFreedom — 4% of showsJustice — 14% of showsDuty — 2% of showsRevenge — 1% of showsGuilt — 1% of showsRedemption — 3% of shows. Moral reawakening of a hardened soul (A Christmas Carol).Forgiveness — under 1% of showsSacrifice — 2% of showsBetrayal — 3% of showsDeception — 6% of showsSurvival — 12% of showsWar — 1% of showsViolence — 2% of showsMortality — 2% of showsGrief — 4% of showsTrauma — 5% of showsMental illness — under 1% of showsAddiction — under 1% of showsIllness and disability — under 1% of showsCommunity — 25% of shows. Consequences reach a town, institution or group.Isolation — 3% of showsPrejudice — 2% of showsDisplacement — 1% of showsFaith — 1% of showsTradition vs change — 3% of showsFame — 5% of showsLegacy — 3% of showsFate — 1% of showsFree will — under 1% of showsTruth — 6% of showsHope — 4% of showsNature — 3% of showsArt — 2% of showsTechnology — 1% of showsSelfFriendship
Every theme, clockwise from the top
  • Bonds 31% (this title): Romantic love 10% · Marriage 2% · Family bonds 22% · Parenthood 1% · Friendship 18% (this title) · Loyalty 7%
  • Self 27%: Identity 20% · Coming of age 9% · Aging under 1% · Self-worth 7% · Ambition 14% · Purpose 16% · Memory 3% · Obsession 2%
  • Power 7%: Power 5% · Corruption 3% · Greed 2% · Class 4% · Oppression 2% · Freedom 4%
  • Morality 11%: Justice 14% · Duty 2% · Revenge 1% · Guilt 1% · Redemption 3% · Forgiveness under 1% · Sacrifice 2% · Betrayal 3% · Deception 6%
  • Survival 9%: Survival 12% · War 1% · Violence 2% · Mortality 2% · Grief 4% · Trauma 5% · Mental illness under 1% · Addiction under 1% · Illness and disability under 1%
  • Society 10%: Community 25% · Isolation 3% · Prejudice 2% · Displacement 1% · Faith 1% · Tradition vs change 3% · Fame 5% · Legacy 3%
  • Ideas 5%: Fate 1% · Free will under 1% · Truth 6% · Hope 4% · Nature 3% · Art 2% · Technology 1%

Bonds

Friendship
Satirizes its theme: Attacks its theme through ridicule.Intimate stakes: Consequences reach a person or a household.Ensemble lead
How it treats its themeThe series explores how a group of close friends use fantasy football as a crucible for their relationships, where affection and cruelty are inseparable.
StanceThe show satirizes the male friendship and the obsessive nature of fantasy sports, presenting them as absurd and often cruel, yet never losing affection for its characters.

The world

ContemporarySuburbanDomesticRealistic
Orchestral modernPopSupportive music · hybrid · Ludwig Göransson
SettingA middle-class Chicago suburb, largely in homes and bars.
MusicThe main theme is an energetic, synthesizer-driven track that sets the show's comedic tone.

Content guide

Is The League okay for kids?

TV-MA

The League is rated TV-MA. As of October 3, 2026, Midcredits content scores put its violence at mild (29/100), sexual content at moderate (60/100), language at intense (80/100), drug and alcohol content at moderate (54/100) and frightening material at minimal (5/100). Overall it is heavier than 32% of TV-MA shows.

Ratings in 6 other countries
  • Canada14+
  • Germany18
  • France18
  • PortugalNR
  • Spain18
  • Türkiye18+
Overall
Moderate · all five categories
Heavier than 60% of all showsHeavier than 32% of TV-MA shows
Violence & Gore
Mild
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 13%
Sex & Nudity
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 62%
Profanity
Intense
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 74%
Alcohol & Drugs
Moderate · audience split: No severity level holds a majority of voters
typical for a TV-MA show
heavier than 53%
Frightening / Intense
None / Minimal
light for a TV-MA show
heavier than 1%

Point along a line to see a well-known title at that level.

The reason to think twice is language. Everything else sits at or below what TV-MA shows usually carry.

Source: Midcredits content scores, 0 (none) to 100 (severe) per category, with each standing ranked against other shows that have them.

What content warnings does The League have?

Not screened for content warnings yet.

Cast and crew

Who is in The League?

Cast

2 of the 10 billed cast had never appeared on screen.

Mark Duplass
as Pete Eckhart
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Jonathan Lajoie
as Taco
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Nick Kroll
as Ruxin
Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
newcomer then · star now
Stephen Rannazzisi
as Kevin
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Paul Scheer
as Andre
Katie Aselton
as Jenny
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.Top draw: One of the 3 biggest draws in this cast: billing here weighted by career star power.
Jason Mantzoukas
as Rafi
Newcomer: A standing when this show came out that sits in the bottom quarter of working actors today.
Alina Foley
as Ellie
Screen debut: No prior film or television role.
Nadine Velazquez
as Sofia
Janina Gavankar
as Shiva

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What are shows like The League?

TMDB's suggestions for shows like The League include The Bob Newhart Show (1972), Platonic (2023) and The Man Show (1999).

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What other shows share a tag with The League?

402 other shows share the rarest tag below, relationship: rivals. Each tag opens Browse with the shows that share it.