Getty Image / Joe Raedle
The Lionel Messi effect is real, as he’s single handedly improving viewing numbers for MLS, as the league’s season pass on Apple as doubled since he signed with Inter Miami.
More people are tuning into MLS games, which is a massive win for a league that’s still growing in the United States.
Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas shared that the MLS Season Pass has “more than doubled” since Messi joined Inter Miami. On top of that, Spanish viewership “has surpassed over 50% for Messi matches and continues to rise.”
The Messi Effect is real! 🐐 Subscribers to #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV have more than doubled since Messi joined @InterMiamiCF. Also, Spanish language viewership on #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV has surpassed over 50% for Messi matches and continues to rise. How exciting for a truly…
— Jorge Mas (@Jorge__Mas) August 10, 2023
So, more people are tuning into MLS games while ticket sales have gone way up as well. Every Messi game is being sold out despite prices for these matches are skyrocketing.
Lionel Messi’s presence has only been a good thing for MLS. Especially considering he’s still playing as arguably the best player in the world.
There is no lack of effort from the soccer superstar. He’s scored eight goals in five games and has led Inter Miami to the semifinals of the League Cup. All while helping his team remain in first place of the league standings.
With that said, Apple and MLS don’t actually share their numbers. So, as Awful Announcing points out, “since this is MLS and Apple we’re talking about, we have no real context for those numbers.”
Regardless, Messi’s presence is hard to ignore. Also, let’s not forget that Lionel Messi himself gets a share of new subscriptions to MLS Season Pass.
Based on this report, Messi made the right decision coming to MLS.