Lionel Messi has delivered an assist to Major League Soccer’s international profile, its broadcasts and its social media as the league debuts an in-season tournament and begins a 10-year run on Apple TV.

Considered the best player of his era, the 36-year-old Messi joined MLS’s Inter Miami squad on June 15, shortly before the league took a break in its regular-season schedule to begin its first-ever Leagues Cup tournament. That event—a tournament involving every MLS and Mexican Liga MX franchise—is meant to bring the international soccer rivalry between Mexico and the U.S. to the club level. There are eight teams remaining, including Inter Miami.

“The timing is perfect—we’re launching [Leagues Cup] the same year we’ve launched MLS Season Pass,” said Camilo Durana, executive VP of properties and events at MLS and Soccer United Marketing, the league’s marketing arm, in an interview.

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Apple TV debuted Season Pass on Feb. 1. The subscription service, which costs $14.99 a month or $99 per season, shows every live MLS regular-season match, the entire playoffs, and the Leagues Cup. Apple offers discounts to Apple TV+ subscribers.

“There’s an enormous amount of energy behind the tournament, and the ability to distribute to over 100 countries in a time in world soccer that the men's game is relatively dormant, so it’s a window in time that we can build this tournament into something that people can experience not just in North America, but worldwide,” Durana said.

MLS isn’t sharing its Apple TV ratings, but Durana said viewership has exceeded the league’s projections so far. Three games between July 19 and July 26 were the highest-rated matches ever on Season Pass, with viewership roughly split between English and Spanish language broadcasts—illustrating the games’ international appeal.

Apple CEO Tim Cook acknowledged Messi’s impact while speaking to analysts in an earnings conference call last week. “For MLS, we could not be happier with how the partnership is going. It’s clearly in the early days, but we are beating our expectation in terms of subscribers, and the fact that Messi went to Inter Miami helped us out there a bit,” Cook said.

Messi is reportedly earning a portion of revenue from new MLS Season Pass subscriptions.

Also read: Apple TV billboard celebrates Messi's arrival

Ratings from Spanish-language broadcasts on Univision also speak to Messi’s popularity. A group stage game between Messi’s Inter Miami squad and Mexico’s Cruz Azul drew 1.75 million Univision viewers—the fifth most-watched MLS telecast ever, including English language broadcasts. The game trailed only the MLS Cup games on ABC in 1997 and 1996 (2.2 million and 2.1 million viewers, respectively); Freddy Adu’s debut game in 2004 (2 million on ABC) and 2021’s Thanksgiving Day match (1.9 million viewers on Fox).

“Messi—where to start? He’s the best player of all time; he’s had an enormous impact even before landing in North America,” Durana said. “We started seeing spikes in our social media metrics, in our ticket sales, and of course, once he stepped on the field, it was an even better story as he’s absolutely taken over and performed on the field. He’s been a spectacular addition to our league, not just for Miami but for Major League Soccer.”

Messi’s Inter Miami jersey has already become the most-sold jersey in the history of MLSstore.com. It became the best-selling kit of 2023 within 45 minutes of the launch.

MLS’s 10-year, $2.5 billion deal with Apple is being watched closely in the sports industry as it demonstrates one alternative to regional sports networks, which have been ravaged by cord-cutters. MLS Season Pass broadcasts every MLS game with no blackouts, but the Apple partnership brings more than just games, Durana said.

The league is working with Apple Music to build playlists that clubs can curate, for example. For the Leagues Cup, it worked with the Mexican band Fuerza Regida, whose song “Tiki Taka Toco,” has become the theme of the event. MLS is also integrating products such as Apple Fitness, Apple Maps and Apple Pay into its broadcasts and stadiums.

Official partners for the Leagues Cup are Adidas, AT&T, Coors Light, Geico, Gilette, Gran Centenario, X World Wallet/NetSpend, US Air Force Reserve and Bodyarmor. Durana said sponsors are “thrilled” with viewership. “The arrival of Messi has brought an energy around the property and has already created energy for sales next year,” he said.

On social media, MLS has gained 26 million new followers since the end of last season, with 24 million since Messi came aboard in June. Engagements are up 263% compared to last year.

Inter Miami’s 12.8 million Instagram followers exceed every North American sports team except the NBA’s Golden State Warriors.

More big moments in U.S. soccer are ahead. The Copa America tournament will be played in the U.S. in 2024, followed by FIFA’s Club World Cup in 2025 and the World Cup, taking place in the U.S., Mexico and Canada, in 2026. “We’re looking to take advantage of the incredible moments in the global game where North America will be the epicenter of soccer for the next four years,” Durana said.

The top three finishers in MLS’s Leagues Cup will qualify for the 2024 Concacaf Champions Cup, a prelude to the FIFA Club World Cup.