South Florida has been making headlines in the sports world lately, with several teams achieving unexpected success. The Florida Panthers, despite barely qualifying for the playoffs, managed to beat record-setting Boston Bruins in the first round, beat the Toronto Maple Leafs, and swept the Carolina Hurricanes to reach the Stanley Cup Finals. Similarly, the Miami Heat secured a spot in the NBA Finals by upsetting the Milwaukee Bucks, beating the New York Knicks, and stunning the Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Finals.
In Major League Baseball, the Miami Marlins are also showing promise, currently battling the Atlanta Braves for the National East title. If the season ended today, they would be one of the three wild card squads in the NL playoffs. But it’s the recent decision by Soccer superstar Lionel Messi to join MLS team InterMiami that has everyone talking. Many are comparing it to LeBron James taking his talents to South Beach.
This isn’t the first time soccer has captured the attention of the U.S. audience. In 1975, Pele joined the New York Cosmos and put soccer on the map in New York, filling Giants Stadium to capacity with 75,000 fans attending his last game. Unfortunately, outside of New York, the North American Soccer League saw poor attendance, and the league eventually disbanded. However, with technology advancements and Apple’s recent streaming rights deal with MLS, things just might be different this time.
Apple will play a significant role in selling Messi, InterMiami, MLS, and soccer to the U.S. market with the streaming of four-part Messi documentary on Apple TV+. Additionally, Apple TV+ offers MLS Season Pass subscriptions, a service that gives access to every MLS and League Cup game. Soccer fans can sign up for MLS Season Pass for $14.99 per month or $49 for the rest of the season. If they purchase an Apple TV+ subscription, they can get MLS Season Pass at a discounted rate of $12.99 per month or $39 for the remainder of the season.
Messi’s popularity and influence could be a game-changer for soccer in the U.S., helped along by cross-promotions, such as the hit show “Ted Lasso” on Apple TV+. If there is a fourth season of the beloved comedy about an American football coach’s experience coaching professional soccer in England, fans wouldn’t be surprised to see Messi make an appearance. With the help of Apple TV+, soccer just might take a significant step forward in America. In the end, both Apple and Messi stand to gain tremendously from the increased attention on MLS, marking it as a win-win situation.
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