Lionel Messi has chosen his next club, and it's Inter Miami. The world's greatest footballer is joining the MLS with help from Apple, which is giving Messi revenue share from the MLS Season Pass on Apple TV Plus.
Messi has decided. His destination: Inter MiamiLeo Messi se va al Inter MiamiJune 7, 2023
The transfer has also been confirmed by footballing journalists Guillem Balague and Ben Jacobs from CBS Sport.
🚨 Lionel Messi will join Inter Miami, as @GuillemBalague first revealed.🏖️ Inter Miami deal includes support from Apple and Adidas. Talks between Messi and Inter Miami have been ongoing for almost two years. pic.twitter.com/3LsaRdr2OTJune 7, 2023
Earlier today, The Athletic reported that MLS' two biggest commercial partners are contributing to help fund the deal, one of which is Adidas, and the other is Apple.
"Multiple sources involved in or briefed on the high-level league discussions said earlier this week that MLS and Apple have discussed offering Messi a share of the revenue generated by new subscribers to MLS Season Pass, the league’s streaming package on Apple TV+."
"Both sides view Messi’s potential involvement in Major League Soccer as a boon; Apple and MLS signed a 10-year, $2.5 billion agreement this spring. On Tuesday, Apple revealed that a four-part docuseries chronicling Messi’s five World Cup appearances would stream on Apple TV+."
What does Messi get for coming to Miami?💰a share of Apple's revenue generated by MLS Season Pass 💰 a share of Adidas profits from his MLS arrivalSet for life.June 7, 2023
With Apple's backing alongside Adidas, Messi will now play under the Miami sun, and with a percentage of profits from Apple TV Plus subscribers watching MLS, a cut of any Adidas' profits increase from him joining the league, and the option of buying an MLS club when he retires, it's a pretty good deal for the Argentine.
Apple TV Plus announces Lionel Messi documentary
Apple TV Plus also announced a new untitled four-part documentary series showcasing Messi's "World Cup career yesterday, culminating in his dramatic Qatar 2022 win."
The show will feature exclusive behind-the-scenes access to Messi and is filmed in Paris, Qatar, and Argentina. The documentary is executive produced by Emmy Award winner Tim Pastore (“Free Solo,” “Jane”), Emmy and Tony Award winners Patrick Milling Smith and Brian Carmody, and Emmy Award winner Matt Renner (“Free Solo,” “Limitless with Chris Hemsworth”) of SMUGGLER Entertainment, alongside Jon Henion (“Welcome to Wrexham”) and Juan Camilo Cruz (“In Her Hands”).
Apple showed its sporting prowess with the release of Real Madrid: Until The End earlier this year and looks set to dive further into the world of sport with this highly anticipated look into the life of Messi.
With Messi set to join Inter Miami, Apple has played a massive role in one of the biggest stories of the summer, not just in the VR headset space.
