Lionel Messi’s anticipated move to Major League Soccer side Inter Miami looks destined to have a colossal impact on many aspects of North American football, both on and off the field.
Of course, the seven-time Ballon d’Or winner and World Cup champion will undoubtedly improve the league’s overall level of quality, but Messi’s transfer is also bound to influence MLS media rights.
In fact, it has been reported that Messi will receive a share of all new subscriptions to MLS Season Pass – the league’s streaming service provided by Apple – as the Argentine’s move to Miami is expected to generate a host of new customers.
Apple is in the first season of its 10-year, $2.5 billion deal to broadcast Major League Soccer worldwide. MLS team season ticket holders can enjoy Season Pass for free, but other subscribers must pay $14.99 per month or $99.99 for a full year to gain access.
The tech giant has so far remained tight-lipped about the number of subscribers and viewing figures that MLS Season Pass has attracted, but that could change when Messi touches down stateside.
After all, the arrival of the 35-year-old – who has racked up 704 goals and 338 assists in 853 senior club appearances for Barcelona and Paris Saint-Germain – is guaranteed to drive new users to the Apple TV+ platform, meaning we could see a rise in subscription costs.
Back in March, MLS commissioner Don Garber said:
“MLS is a single entity. If you’re selling something that the collective owns, the collective has to approve that.”
This statement indicates that MLS clubs have agreed to the rumoured clauses regarding Messi, Apple and MLS Season Pass. To put things into perspective, it would be like every Premier League team making allowances for Manchester City to make a groundbreaking signing.
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