Lionel Messi’s global appeal exceeds far beyond just his footballing abilities. The Argentine is considered to have one of the best-left feet the game has ever seen. He has scored some of the most incredible goals in the sport’s history and has seven Ballon d’Or awards to show for it – the most of any player in history.
Yet, the former Barcelona player is loved across the globe for something beyond football. He is quite introverted, barely speaking to the media, which may be his strongest point because this keeps his personal life out of the public eye, thus saving him from some potential controversy.
Messi’s move to Miami, Florida probably couldn’t have gotten off to a better start. The 36-year-old seems to be enjoying his time in the MLS, but what did it take to convince him to sign for a David Beckham-co-owned franchise rather than his beloved Barcelona?
Lionel Messi boosted Apple’s MLS streaming service after joining Inter Miami
It sounds obvious that it took more than just money to convince Lionel Messi to join Inter Miami in the MLS. After all, if he wanted the most money he’d seen in his career, he would have gone to Saudi Arabia, where they offered him a bumper contract.
Messi is thought to have chosen Inter Miami and the MLS because they offered him arguably the best incentives any player could hope to get, and it seems to have paid off so far for both Apple, the official streaming platform for the MLS, and the league itself.
Google searches for MLS Season Pass on Apple TV have EXPLODED since Lionel Messi's debut 💰
Reminder: Apple is paying MLS $2.5 billion over 10 years ($250M/year) for global broadcasting rights, and part of Lionel Messi's deal includes revenue sharing from Apple for new signups. pic.twitter.com/LJSXeq7VTt
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) July 26, 2023
Google searches for Apple’s MLS Season Pass have skyrocketed since Messi joined Inter Miami. The streaming company is paying the MLS $250 million a year and a whopping total of $2.5 billion over the next ten years, for global broadcasting rights.
The Argentine has had an impressive start to his Inter Miami career, scoring three goals and providing one assist in just two games for his new club. In his second game, where he scored a brace, the Argentine dedicated a goal celebration to David Beckham, who played a huge role in bringing him to the MLS.
What is Lionel Messi’s contract with Apple MLS streaming service?
Football contracts are for the most part, not made public, but according to reports, Lionel Messi will get a cut of streaming revenues from any new subscriptions on the MLS Season Pass by Apple TV. This is huge for the Argentine as he may receive these proceeds for a long period of time, potentially making him one of the richest athletes in the world.
Apple TV is giving Lionel Messi a cut of streaming revenue from new MLS subscriptions.
And now the company is promoting his MLS debut on the front page of the App Store.
This is unprecedented and could be the model for future superstar athletes. pic.twitter.com/tZFMBtBFo4
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) July 21, 2023
Messi already appears to be pulling the crowd to Inter Miami, attracting A-list celebrities that include Kim Kardashian, DJ Khaled, LeBron James, Camila Cabello, Diddy, and many more.
Do you think Messia has a better deal in the US compared to what Saudi Arabia offered him? Tell us what you think in the comments section!
