Apple is starting to benefit from Lionel Messi’s transfer to Inter Miami, a team who is seeing his impact on the field.
At 35, Lionel Messi, arguably the best player to ever play the world’s default sport, appears poised to become the latest global star called upon to enhance the sport’s stature in the United States. Upon the winding down of his contract at Qatari-owned Paris Saint-Germain, Messi announced he wants to come to Inter Miami—and Major League Soccer—for what will presumably be his last act on the field.
As soon as Messi was signed in June, Apple TV+ added more than 300,000 new subscribers, a further reflection of how the Argentine will impact the league moving forward.
According to The Athletic, MLS and Apple offered Messi part of the revenue generated by subscriptions to MLS Season Pass, the league’s streaming package.
Messi’s arrival helps the league as they look to gain national and international recognition.
After his majestic start to the life in MLS, the company announced 1 million new MLS season pass subscriptions through Apple TV+, which has the rights to show Major League Soccer matches for the next 10 years.
The company’s investment, estimated at $2.5 billion, ended a nearly 30-year partnership between the U.S. league and ESPN.
Packages offered by Apple TV+ range from $12.99 per month to $39.00 for the entire season.
Assuming fans only opted for the monthly plan, the minimum revenue so far is $13 million.
