Apple pinned its hopes on soccer superstar Lionel Messi boosting interest in its MLS Season Pass, and the gamble is apparently paying off. After the legend joined Inter Miami CF, Apple reports that its soccer streaming service just had its best week ever.
And that’s after Messi playing only two matches on the service.
Lionel Messi starts making Apple’s soccer dreams come true
Bringing former Barcelona, Paris-St. Germaine and Argentina national team star Messi to MLS is a big-money bet, and Apple cut a unique revenue-split deal to do it, according to ESPN. Apple needs him to bring in plenty of viewers to justify its investment. Apparently, that’s happening.
His first match with Inter Miami was July 21 with the second on July 25. And an Apple spokesperson told The Verge on Thursday that the past week included “the 3 most-watched matches ever on MLS Season Pass, with viewers in almost 100 countries and regions around the world.”
Apple’s soccer streaming service is new, debuting in February 2023. It reportedly has only about a million subscribers, but the number is growing strongly. The greatest soccer player ever is likely playing a role in that growth.
Bringing in Lionel Messi seems to be working out for Inter Miami, too. They won both the matches since he joined the team. In Tuesday’s 4-0 crushing win over Atlanta United, the superstar scored two goals and assisted in the others.
The team’s upcoming matches on MLS Season Pass.are against Charlotte FC on August 20 and New York Red Bulls on August 27.
Image: MLS Season Pass
How to watch MLS Season Pass
Subscriptions to MLS Season Pass on the Apple TV app are $14.99 per month during the season or $99 per season. Apple TV+ subscribers can sign up for $12.99 per month or $79 per season.
Although the streaming service is run by Apple, it doesn’t require a Mac, iPhone, etc. It’s accessed through the Apple TV app, which is available for smart TVs, streaming devices, set-top boxes and game consoles. The service can also be watched on the web at tv.apple.com.
