Page 12 - Soccer360 - Issue 103
P. 12
MESSI’S TROPHY QUEST
In literature, the summer is always a fun time
to write about. The main character’s typically go on a wild adventure, meet new friends, and at the end of it typically learn a little bit about themselves. For Lionel Messi, this summer has certainly played out like a great novel with Inter Miami FC’s latest signing tearing up Major League Soccer and putting a stronger spotlight on the game here in the United States.
What’s interesting is that while he made an immediate impact it wasn’t necessarily in MLS, but rather the Leagues Cup and the U.S. Open Cup. League action took a break for both contests during Messifest, but it ended up to the benefit of both competitions. In its first year under a new format, the Leagues Cup drew huge subscriber numbers for Apple +. Meanwhile, the US Open Cup, which for years has struggled to gain viewers despite a loyal supporter base, pulled in record numbers on CBS Sports and Telemundo.
Oh, and of course Messi delivered on the field. In Leagues Cup action, he scored ten goals including a brilliant strike in the final
to put Inter Miami up 1-0 over Nashville SC. Nashville would come back and level the score. But Miami tucked it away in penalties 10-9, including a cracking strike by Messi. He followed that up just three days later, leading a comeback in the US Open Cup semifinals to push the side into the finals in September.
Delivering Inter Miami their first ever-trophy and pushing them into contention for a second is just a snapshot of what his play has done for the city and the league as a whole. If he can continue to deliver not just in year one but the years ahead then the sky’s the limit.
age very well as the club couldn’t have handled Messi’s arrival any better.
The economic impact for the league speaks for itself as it is understood that MLS Season Pass subscriptions on Apple TV have dramatically increased following Messi’s arrival, even though official numbers haven’t been released. However, according to the Sports Business Journal the announcement of Messi’s move to Miami led to an additional 300,000 subscribers within a month from late June to late July, pushing the total amount of subscribers to over a million for the first time.
Messi’s debut against Cruz Azul averaged a 0.8 rating and 1.75 million viewers on Univision’s Spanish-language broadcast which ended up being the largest single-network MLS audience since American teen sensation Freddy Adu in 2004 attracted a total of 1.97 million viewers at the time on ABC. However, that doesn’t include the
English broadcast numbers on Apple TV which also turned out to be very impressive according to the company.
It’s become clear that it isn’t just the United States and Canada tuning in to watch the world’s greatest player, but there is interest from around the world to see the 36-year-old in action. With so many new eyeballs on the league, MLS has an unprecedented opportunity for international growth that they’ve never experienced before. The fact they have an international broadcast deal in place already with Apple TV only simplifies their ability to reach a large global audience. It’ll be interesting to see how it turns out for both the league and player when all is said and done, but it surely could not have got off to a better start for all parties involved. As for Inter Miami, the signing of Messi has the potential to propel them forward and become a force in MLS like something not seen before in their very short history.
LIONEL MESSI CHOSE A MOVE TO
MLS OVER AN OFFER FROM THE SAUDI PRO LEAGUE
Paris Saint Germain’s Lionel Messi (C) poses with teammates and PSG staff members during French Ligue 1 trophy ceremony
Inter Miami CF forward Lionel Messi (C) scores a goal past Nashville SC goalkeeper Elliot Panicco (L) during the first half of the 2023 Leagues Cup final between Nashville SC and Inter Miami CF
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2023 MLS SEASON FOCUS