Jul 28, 2023 | 8:53 p.m. | 0 comments
How AppleInsider reported, the arrival of soccer superstar Lionel Messi in Major League Soccer (MLS) has resulted in record-breaking viewership for Apple’s MLS Season Pass. Apple explained that after Messi’s debut, the company recorded “the three most-watched games of all time in the MLS Season Pass, with viewers in almost 100 countries and regions around the world”.
Fotocredit: Apple
Messi’s debut and the MLS crowd boom
Argentine soccer player Lionel Messi’s debut in MLS took place between July 19 and July 26, 2023. His arrival at Inter Miami was a milestone for MLS and led to a significant increase in viewership. Messi’s first game came on July 21 and since then he has twice led his team to victory. Both games are among the three most watched in the MLS Season Pass.
Apple said viewership was evenly split between the English and Spanish streams, suggesting a global audience. All MLS Season Pass matches will have commentary in both English and Spanish, and matches involving Canadian teams also in French. Even if Apple speaks of a great success, the company does not announce the exact number of subscribers.
Of course, the move is still very fresh and without concrete numbers it’s hard to say how big Messi’s impact on subscriber numbers actually was. Even before Messi’s debut, there were reports of almost 1 million MLS Season Pass subscribers. What is certain is that his presence has sparked renewed interest in the league, likely resulting in more people following the games. And Apple obviously knows what a big deal that is. The company heavily promoted Messi’s participation, issued a press release and even displayed Messi’s face at the top of the App Store. In addition, Apple TV+ recently announced a Lionel Messi documentary.
Der MLS Season Pass
Apple owns the exclusive streaming rights to MLS games, so the Apple TV app is the only place to watch all MLS regular season games, League Cup games and more. That agreement is part of a ten-year deal that’s reportedly costing Apple around $250 million annually.
The MLS Season Pass costs €14.99 per month or €49 for the rest of the season. Apple TV+ subscribers pay 12.99 euros per month or 39 euros for the rest of the season. The MLS Season Pass is available through the Apple TV app on smart TVs, streaming devices, Apple devices, set-top boxes and gaming consoles, and online at tv.apple.com.
-> Here you can subscribe to the MLS Season Pass
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2023-07-28 19:10:24
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