World Cup winner and one of the greatest in football history, Lionel Messi will change teams next season. The Argentine was signed by Inter Miami of the USA. According to behind-the-scenes information, even Apple will help pay the star, with money from the streaming of the games.
According to ESPN, Messi’s contract with Inter Miami includes a slice of the revenues of new MLS Season Pass subscribers, sold by Apple TV.
Apple TV+ subscribers pay a little less: $ 34.90 per month. Another option is to pay for the rest of the season, which runs until December 9: $ 99 for non-subscribers and R $ 79 for subscribers.
This is the first season of the partnership between Apple TV and MLS. The streaming platform bought the exclusivity of the league’s TV rights. The deal runs through 2032 and cost the Cupertino-based company $2.5 billion.
Messi is considered the biggest signing in MLS history, surpassing David Beckham’s arrival at the LA Galaxy in 2007.
The Englishman is even president and one of the owners of Inter Miami. According to ESPN, one of the clauses in the contract would give Messi himself the option to become one of the team’s owners.
With one of the best soccer players in the world, interest in the league is expected to grow, bringing more subscribers to the MLS Season Pass.
Apple invests in streaming and sports
Apple has been investing in services in recent years as a way to diversify its revenues and rely less on hardware sales. Apple TV+, with original movies and series, is one of the fruits of this plan.
To attract new subscribers, the platform went beyond documentaries and works of fiction, also entering the field of sports.
In addition to MLS, Apple TV+ broadcasts games from MLB, the top baseball league in the U.S. Every Friday, the streaming platform has two exclusive, live matches.
Apple isn’t alone in this interest in live sports streaming
