“American technology giant” Apple signed a historic agreement with MLS about 1 year before Messi arrived in the tournament (July 2023), with a total value of up to 2.5 billion USD within 10 years. year to broadcast all matches on the Apple TV app. Each year, this giant technology company pays the MLS about 250 million USD, which is then distributed to 29 clubs.
Since Messi arrived, the number of people signing up to use Apple TV services to watch MLS matches has skyrocketed. According to Sports Business Journal (USA), the number of subscribers has reached more than 2 million by early 2024.
“However, not stopping at this success, 2 years after the historic agreement with MLS, Apple, continuing from Messi’s effect, will buy the broadcasting rights for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup held in the US. with a value of up to 1 billion USD”, the New York Times said.
“However, if Apple succeeds with the $1 billion deal to own the broadcasting rights for the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup, the value is only 1/4 of the total value of television rights that FIFA (Football Federation) world football) wants up to $4 billion. The deal would be the first time FIFA would sell the rights to one company instead of splitting them into multiple packages globally Apple sports, following the agreement to broadcast the MLB (baseball) and MLS (soccer) tournaments in the US”, the New York Times shared.
In addition, Apple is pursuing the goal of winning the right to broadcast the 2025 FIFA Club World Cup and has almost reached an agreement, due to information that FIFA will choose Inter Miami Club and Messi to attend this tournament as the home team. American government, the New York Times emphasized.
Up to now, Messi’s attraction to American football is still extremely great. The Argentinian player is having an impressive start to the 2024 season, helping the team of former famous player David Beckham as president and co-owner lead the MLS Eastern Region with 18 points after 10 matches, including 5 wins. , 3 draws and 2 losses. The only regret is that Messi could not help Inter Miami Club advance far in the CONCACAF Champions Cup when it stopped in the quarterfinals.
At the MLS tournament, besides the effect of increasing the number of subscriptions on Apple TV, every match of Messi and Inter Miami, away or at home, is “sold out”. Like the upcoming match, Messi and his teammates arrived at New England Revolution Club’s Gillette Stadium (with a capacity of more than 64,000 seats) to play at 6:30 a.m. on April 28, but more than 60,000 tickets were sold out early this week.
The matches of the New England Revolution Club in the MLS tournament have an average of about 20,000 spectators, the match that set the record with the most spectators was about 61,316 people. But the upcoming match with Messi’s presence is likely to break the above record.
