With over 110,000 fans joining up for MLS Season Pass only for his Inter Miami debut, Lionel Messi has contributed to a historic influx of new Apple TV subscribers.
On July 21, when Messi played his first Inter Miami game and scored a last-second free kick against Cruz Azul, there were more than 110,000 new subscribers, according to subscription analytics company Antenna, as reported by the Wall Street Journal.
The ‘enormous bump’ eclipses the day before’s sign-ups (6,143), and it surpasses both the MLS season’s first day and the day Season Passes went on sale.
In fact, Apple TV+ subscriptions increased significantly in July as well, making it the strongest month for acquiring new US consumers in 2023.
According to Jonathan Carson, CEO of Antenna, “There is only one Lionel Messi, so this was a very big moment for the sport in this country.”
Lionel Messi has helped drive an unprecedented flood of new subscribers to Apple TV
Sports are undoubtedly star-driven, but this has never resulted in a significant increase in subscriber numbers.
In exchange for joining the MLS, Messi is rumored to receive a portion of sales from new customers who sign up for Apple’s MLS Season Pass, which was introduced earlier this year as a result of a $2.5 billion collaboration over ten years.
Last month, Apple CEO Tim Cook gave Messi credit for the company’s unanticipated increase in new employees.
Cook stated on Apple’s August earnings call “We are exceeding our expectation in terms of subscribers, and the fact that Messi went to Inter Miami helped us out there a bit.”
Tim Cook credited Messi for helping the tech giant enjoy an unforeseen rise in new joiners
Back in August, Jorge Mas, a co-owner of Inter Miami, asserted that Messi’s presence had caused subscriptions to more than double in just a few weeks.
Mas said, “The Messi Effect is real!” “Since Messi joined @InterMiamiCF, the number of subscribers to #MLSSeasonPass on @AppleTV has more than doubled.”
MLS Season Pass now costs $12.99 per month or, for those who already have Apple TV+, $25 for the entire season. Those that don’t pay $29 for the season or $14.99 every month.
Season Pass subscriptions for this year were provided without charge to MLS season ticket holders.