“His impact has been unimaginable,” Garber said in an interview the same day that Messi was named Athlete of the Year 2023 by the magazine Time.
“Now we are not only part of the global conversation, but one of the biggest stories in world soccer. The eyes of the world are on Major League Soccer (MLS) because the best player in the world is here and succeeding.”
After taking Argentina to the conquest of the World Cup In December 2022, Messi skyrocketed ticket prices in the United States when he rejected a lucrative offer from Saudi Al-Hilal to sign for Inter Miami, last ranked in the MLS.
In July he scored a great goal on his debut, and Messi mania skyrocketed when the Argentine scored 10 goals in seven Leagues Cup games and led the club to win the first title in its history.
MLS enjoyed its largest audience ever, with nearly 11 million fans attending games, up 5% year-over-year, according to a report released Friday by Morning Consult.
Messi’s arrival especially helped boost the league’s popularity among the coveted millennial audience, making it the seventh-fastest-growing brand among this group, according to the research firm.
Garber was also “very pleased” with the first year of the 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Apple for media rights, a view echoed by Apple CEO Tim Cook on a recent earnings call.
“The metrics on and off the field have been spectacular,” Garber said. “It’s fantastic to see that our league can deliver for a player like Leo Messi like we do. And it’s great to see Leo Messi perform for MLS the way we hoped he would.”
Garber said he has “every expectation” that Messi, 36, will remain in MLS for the remainder of his contract, which runs through the 2025 season.
2023-12-08 22:05:51
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