The Lionel Messi effect! ‘More than 1m people’ watched Inter Miami games – with only NFL & college football able to compete with those numbers

The Argentine superstar, who now has eight Ballon d’Or wins to his name, completed a stunning move to the United States in the summer of 2023 as he left European football with Paris Saint-Germain behind. Within weeks of his arrival, Inter Miami had claimed a historic Leagues Cup title.

Messi has captured the imagination of a domestic audience in the U.S. as new supporters and A-list guests flock to catch a glimpse of him in action. He has also helped Inter Miami to dominate in the television and streaming stakes, with MLS Season Pass subscriptions soaring.

Apple senior vice-president of services, Eddy Cue, has told the Miami Herald of the Messi effect: “More than 1 million people watched Messi’s games live, regular season and Leagues Cup games, which is amazing when you compare it to other sports, leaving out NFL and college football.”

Apple have a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal in place with MLS and Cue added on having a global superstar to showcase: “This was our first season and we wanted to make sure we gave MLS fans we had here in the U.S. the best experience in the world, the ability with one click to watch all MLS matches with no blackouts. We thought we wouldn’t grow internationally until later, and obviously, we’ve accelerated that, given Messi.”

Messi will be back for more in 2024, having missed out on the MLS play-offs in his debut campaign, with the South American icon set to take in a well-earned break once a 2026 World Cup qualifier against Brazil has been taken in on Tuesday.