The Lionel Messi effect! ‘More than 1m people’ watched Inter Miami games – with only NFL & college football able to compete with those numbers

Lionel Messi has made quite the impact in America, with it revealed that “more than 1 million” fans have watched his Inter Miami side in live action.

Article continues below

Article continues below

Article continues below

• Messi joined Inter Miami in the summer
• Inspired club to Leagues Cup glory
• Attracting huge new soccer fanbase

• Getty
  

  Table of Contents

  Toggle

  WHAT HAPPENED?

  The Argentine superstar, who now has eight Ballon d’Or wins to his name, completed a stunning move to the United States in the summer of 2023 as he left European football with Paris Saint-Germain behind. Within weeks of his arrival, Inter Miami had claimed a historic Leagues Cup title.

Advertisement

• THE BIGGER PICTURE

  Messi has captured the imagination of a domestic audience in the U.S. as new supporters and A-list guests flock to catch a glimpse of him in action. He has also helped Inter Miami to dominate in the television and streaming stakes, with MLS Season Pass subscriptions soaring.

• Getty
  

  WHAT THEY SAID

  Apple senior vice-president of services, Eddy Cue, has told the of the Messi effect: “More than 1 million people watched Messi’s games live, regular season and Leagues Cup games, which is amazing when you compare it to other sports, leaving out NFL and college football.”

• DID YOU KNOW?

  Apple have a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal in place with MLS and Cue added on having a global superstar to showcase: “This was our first season and we wanted to make sure we gave MLS fans we had here in the U.S. the best experience in the world, the ability with one click to watch all MLS matches with no blackouts. We thought we wouldn’t grow internationally until later, and obviously, we’ve accelerated that, given Messi.”