It’s difficult to overstate the impact Lionel Messi has had on Inter Miami and MLS since he joined the club in July. But there are some concerning signs underneath the veneer of Messi Mania.
“Soccer in North America will never be the same,” Camilo Durana, the executive vice-president of Apple partnership, properties and events at MLS, told Forbes in June, days after the announcement that Messi was moving to the league.
“In combining the star power of arguably the greatest player of all time, the ease of access to our product, and a North American market that is full of passion for the beautiful game, we believe the multiplier effect will further drive the growth of our league and our sport.”
That growth was instant. Inter Miami’s Instagram following increased by more the 500% within 24 hours of the Messi move being announced and is now larger than any NFL, MLB or NHL franchise.
Since joining Miami, Messi merchandise has been the top-selling for any player on Fanatics, the online sports retail outlet. Within a couple of months of his arrival, the Messi boom had seen more Inter Miami apparel sold than for the whole of 2022.
Related: Messi-palooza would have never been possible if not for Beckham’s LA leap
Apple TV+ has been one of the biggest beneficiaries of Messi’s arrival in the US. The streaming company signed a landmark 10-year, $2.5bn deal for the global MLS broadcasting rights last year. The head-spinning package that enticed Messi to the league reportedly includes an annual salary somewhere between $50m and $60m and commercial incentives related to new Apple+ sign-ups. The streaming service launched the first batch of its Messi Meets America documentary series this week.
“For MLS, we couldn’t be happier with how the partnership is going,” said Apple CEO Tim Cook during an earnings call in August. “We’re clearly in the early days, but we’re exceeding our expectations in terms of subscribers, and Messi going to Inter Miami helped us a little bit. So we’re very happy.”
And while it’s hard to know the precise number of Apple’s subscription sales, the games still broadcast on traditional television provide a clearer indicator of soccer’s increased popularity in the United States. For instance, according to the Nielsen ratings system, Leagues Cup matches averaged 680,000 viewers, higher than the average for every MLS postseason. A total of 13.6 million viewers tuned into the 2023…