The Lionel Messi effect! MLS commissioner Don Garber admits shock at influence Inter Miami superstar had on viewership figures following blockbuster move from PSG

At the SOCCEREX Miami conference on Tuesday, the largest soccer networking event in the world, MLS commissioner Don Garber spoke on the growth of the league's streaming viewership with their Apple TV deal.

With the addition of the legendary Argentine superstar midseason, Garber admitted that the streaming numbers were unprecedented and unexpected.

When speaking on the details surrounding the streaming numbers, Garber admitted that he was surprised by the results. “We had more than a million viewers for biggest games (on MLS Season Pass), nobody expected that," he said.

For context, the average NHL game in the USA sees less than 500,000 live viewers on television, per Sports Business Journal.

Messi arrived at Inter Miami on the eve of a brand new intra-league tournament and went on to win the championship game of the Leagues Cup while also boasting the Golden Boot trophy.

Although numbers have not been released publicly, Garber's comments regarding Apple streaming numbers can presumably be related to the addition of the 2022 FIFA World Cup winner. MLS is no longer just a North American-viewed league. With Messi, they are now worldwide.

The 2023 MLS playoffs are set to resume after the conclusion of the FIFA international break. With a new format implemented for the postseason this year, the Conference semifinal games - which begin November 25 - will begin a single-game knockout format where extra-time and penalty shootouts are both implemented.

The Western Conference will see Sporting Kansas City take on the Houston Dynamo and Seattle Sounders vs LAFC while the Eastern Conference will sport matches between FC Cincinnati and Philadelphia Union and Orlando City vs Columbus Crew.