Apple is beginning to reap the rewards of Lionel Messi’s move to Inter Miami, a team who is seeing his impact on the field

This week, the company announced 1 million new MLS season pass subscriptions through Apple TV+, which has the rights to show Major League Soccer matches for the next 10 years.

The company’s investment, estimated at $2.5 billion, ended a nearly 30-year partnership between the U.S. league and ESPN.

You can now watch Messi in MLS with Apple

Packages offered by Apple TV+ range from $12.99 per month to $39.00 for the entire season.

Assuming fans only opted for the monthly plan, the minimum revenue so far is $13 million.

For those who are not Apple TV+ subscribers and who only want to watch MLS games, prices are a bit higher and range from $14.99 per month to $49.00 for the entire season

The truth is that Messi continues to break records and justify all the attention he gets.

“In the world’s largest consumer sports market, however, he has the challenge of continuing to capture attention despite the fact the other four major leagues (NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL) have their established audiences and idols,” says Ivan Martinho, professor of sports marketing at ESPN.

As soon as Messi was signed in June, Apple TV+ added more than 300,000 new subscribers, a further reflection of how the Argentine will impact the league moving forward.

According to The Athletic, MLS and Apple offered Messi part of the revenue generated by subscriptions to MLS Season Pass, the league’s streaming package

The necessary leap

Messi‘s arrival helps the league as they look to gain national and international recognition.

Named as the athlete with second highest fortune in the world- $655 million according to Forbes – Messi will also have other benefits too.

Adidas, the brand with which Messi already has a partnership, will also give the Argentinian part of the profits from sales of his merchandise in the league.

The agreement also includes the option to buy a percentage of Inter Miami when he retires, similar to what Beckham did years ago.

In addition, the Argentine’s signing opens new doors in trying to connect fans with MLS and clubs

For a growing league like MLS, Messi‘s arrival opens up a range of opportunities to improve the relationship between fans, clubs and the competition itself,” said Alexandre Motta, Head of Creation at End to End.

“To do this, it would be necessary to structure communication in different media, in addition to creativity to formulate strategies and strengthen the point of contact with the fan