The M in MLS Now Stands for Messi, Plus Golf’s New Club
On the latest Sporticast episode, hosts Scott Soshnick and Eben Novy-Williams discuss some of the biggest sports business stories of the week, including a landmark moment for Major League Soccer. Lionel Messi, one of the world’s most famous athletes, appears on the verge of signing with Inter Miami.
It would be the biggest signing in league history, and MLS is reportedly preparing an unprecedented pay package for the Argentinian star. Messi is set to receive equity in the team, plus a share of money generated under the league’s deals with Apple and Adidas.
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The hosts discuss how the Apple deal allows MLS to directly monetize the signing instantaneously, and how immediately Messi’s millions of global fans have already flocked to Inter Miami’s social media accounts. They also talk about the single-entity nature of MLS, and how that possibly complicates the talks over what the league is willing to offer the star.
Next, the hosts talk about TGL—the new Monday night team golf league being launched by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. TGL recently sold its first franchise to Alexis Ohanian, Serena Williams and Venus Williams, with five more auctions still ongoing. The group is looking to package golf for a new audience, drawing more on young, tech-savvy consumers and less on the sport’s established fanbase.
Lastly, they discus how athlete wealth has changed over the past few generations. More and more celebrities (like the Williams sisters) are using their platforms to launch, or invest in, new businesses. It’s changed the long-term financial outlook for those players, and the ones who will come after them.
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