Jorge Mas, the managing owner of Inter Miami CF, says that the addition of Lionel Messi to his soccer team has “more than doubled” subscriptions to Apple’s MLS Season Pass, which allows viewers to watch Major League Soccer games.
Messi joined the Florida team in July. The huge boost in paid viewership is quick work, even for the man who’s been called the greatest soccer player ever.
Lionel Messi is a massive boon to Apple’s MLS Season Pass
Bringing former Barcelona, Paris-St. Germaine and Argentina national team star Lionel 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.
And that’s happening, according to Jorge Mas. He posted on X (formerly Twitter), “The Messi Effect is real! 🐐 Subscribers to #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV have more than doubled since Messi joined @InterMiamiCF.”
Apple’s soccer streaming service debuted in February 2023. Before Messi joined Inter Miami CF, the MLS Season Pass reportedly signed up only about a million subscribers. Apparently, that total needs to be updated to about 2 million now.
An international audience for American soccer
MLS is an American league, but people from around the world are tuning in to watch Messi play.
“Spanish language viewership on #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV has surpassed over 50% for Messi matches and continues to rise,” the owner of Inter Miami CF said Thursday. “How exciting for a truly global fan base!”
And, in July, Apple said that the first week that Messi was part of MLS included “the 3 most-watched matches ever on MLS Season Pass, with viewers in almost 100 countries and regions around the world.”
To experience Messi effect for yourself, Inter Miami CF’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 cost $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 Apple runs the streaming service, you don’t need a Mac, iPhone, etc., to watch. You can access MLS Season Pass through the Apple TV app, 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.
