Nearly 50% of MLS Season Pass Subscribers Signed Up to See Messi; Star Is Also Driving New Customers to Apple TV+
The so-called “Messi Effect” is impossible to ignore. The stateside arrival of the international soccer superstar has had a huge impact on his new squad Inter Miami CF, Major League Soccer as a whole, and Apple, who operates the streaming platform dedicated to offering MLS matches throughout the season.
That platform is MLS Season Pass, and it’s been doing gangbusters for Apple ever since Messi made his Inter Miami debut in July. The three most-viewed matches in the service's short history came immediately after Messi’s arrival, and subscriptions to MLS Season Pass have more than doubled.
New data from the media research, insights and analytics firm Antenna is showing just how dramatic of an impact the Messi Effect has had for Apple. Antenna observed 110,000 sign-ups to MLS Season Pass the day Messi played his first game for Miami, which is a 280% increase over the number of subscribers who signed up for the service on its first day of availability in February. In all, 46% of all current MLS Season Pass subscriptions came thanks to the news that Messi would be playing for MLS starting in July.
The arrival of Messi has also been beneficial to Apple’s entertainment streaming platform Apple TV+. Between February and July, Antenna found that 15% of customers who subscribed to MLS Season Pass first have since signed up for an Apple TV+ subscription, as well. Part of that equation is the fact that Apple offers Apple TV+ customers a discount on MLS Season Pass, but the Messi Effect is clearly at play here. His July debut with Miami drove up subscriptions to both services.
The data goes to show just how uniquely Apple is positioned for success thanks to the arrival of Messi. Other corporations like Warner Bros. Discovery and Disney are trying to determine how best to offer their biggest sports properties via streaming, but they’re unlikely to cash in the same way that Apple has. WBD wants to begin offering MLB, NBA and NHL games on a new tier of Max this fall, but there are no international superstars of Messi’s caliber waiting to join one of those leagues to bring a fresh new wave of attention to them.
Messi has Miami poised to make a run from last place to a playoff spot, which means MLS Season Pass subscriptions could see another significant bump before the season ends. His arrival has been a huge benefit to Apple, as well as to other MLS teams who will now get more money from the tech giant because subscribers are flocking MLS Season pass.
MLS Season Pass
MLS Season Pass is a video streaming service that offers every match—including Leagues Cup and the entire Audi MLS Cup Playoffs—with no blackouts. It offers both English and Spanish announcers. MLS Season Pass also offers pre-match coverage, post-match analysis, highlights, player profiles, interviews, club content, match replays, live MLS NEXT Pro and MLS NEXT matches, and more.