Apple secured the exclusive global broadcast rights for the MLS in 2022, partly for buzzy moments like the official introduction on Sunday of soccer great Lionel Messi as a player for the league’s Miami team. The historic moment was destined to generate a huge audience for Apple across the globe. But when the big event came, the tech giant’s broadcast fell short. Technical difficulties like shaky audio dampened what should have been the tech company’s big moment, leaving fans perplexed.
The technical glitches made for an inauspicious start to Apple's revolutionary deals with both the league and Messi. The unprecedented agreement between Messi and Apple comes amid renewed scrutiny over the finances of global sports, after Saudi Arabia’s forays into golf, boxing, and more recently soccer.
