Lionel Messi's MLS playoff debut was Apple TV's most watched sporting event, company says

Lionel Messi’s MLS Cup Playoffs debut was the most widely viewed sporting event ever presented by Apple, the company said Monday without releasing viewership figures.

The match was available to live stream for free worldwide via MLS Season Pass on Apple TV behind a massive campaign centered around Messi’s first MLS postseason match, where he failed to score but delivered an assist in Inter Miami's 2-1 win against Atlanta United on Friday.

It was also streamed live on Apple.com and shown in Apple Stores in major U.S. cities, such as New York City, Los Angeles and San Francisco, along with stores in Canada, Mexico, Brazil, Korea, Japan and Australia.

As many as 150,000 viewers at a time also visited the MLS and Inter Miami CF TikTok accounts to watch Messi cam, an exclusive player spotlight of Messi during the game. It marked the first time TikTok streamed a live soccer match focused on one player.

“We’re getting behind Leo Messi’s historic MLS Cup Playoffs debut in a big way. It’s not just must-see television, but it’s a barometer for the entire postseason on MLS Season Pass,” Apple’s Global Head of Sports Marketing Emeka Ofodile said during a media briefing last week. “We’ll make this match the most widely distributed match in MLS Season Pass history, bringing this match to as many fans as possible around the globe.”

Apple signed a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal in 2022 to begin broadcasting MLS games on Apple TV. Messi’s deal to join Inter Miami and MLS included compensation from Apple TV for international subscriptions sold for MLS Season Pass.

Messi is the highest paid player in MLS, earning $20.4 million in guaranteed compensation by Inter Miami in 2024. It’s a portion of a reported $150 million deal he agreed to in 2023, which included an ownership stake in Inter Miami when he retires. His contract lasts through 2025 with an option for 2026.

“I won’t give you the exact number, but pre-Messi it was very U.S. dominant. Post-Messi, it changed materially,” Apple Senior Vice President Eddy Cue said of Messi’s impact on Apple subscriptions and viewership before the season. “He had a significant number of subscribers from South American and Europe. So, it was a big change.”

Messi, the eight-time Ballon d’Or winner and Argentine World Cup champions, is one of five finalists for MLS MVP. He returns to action on Saturday as Inter Miami faces Atlanta United at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta for the second match of their best-of-three, first-round series.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Lionel Messi's MLS playoff debut sets new Apple TV viewership record