How Lionel Messi Impacted MLS’ Business This Summer – Sportico.com
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The summer of 2023 in Major League Soccer will be remembered as the season of Messi.
It has been 18 weeks since Lionel Messi, arguably the best soccer player in the world, made his MLS debut for Inter Miami CF, effectively transforming a Leagues Cup match against Liga MX’s Cruz Azul into a sold-out soccer extravaganza.
Of course, the match ended with Messi scoring an unforgettable free-kick goal in the 94th minute that gave his new team a 2-1 win. Inter Miami’s owners, David Beckham and the Mas Brothers, and MLS commissioner Don Garber could not have asked for a better debut for the Argentine in America.
Messi’s arrival in the U.S. did not just bring excitement and unparalleled talent to MLS, it also transformed the business landscape of the league.
Inter Goes Boom
Since the 36-year-old signed with Inter Miami on July 15, the team has experienced a seismic shift in both the sporting and commercial sides.
First came social media followers: The South Florida franchise has gained 15.4 million Instagram followers since June and is now the fourth-most followed U.S. sports franchise on that platform, surpassing all NFL, MLB and NHL teams.
Your #10 @InterMiamiCF pic.twitter.com/STrMhYXINJ
— Jorge Mas (@Jorge__Mas) November 11, 2023
Even before his arrival, Inter had a plan in place. The team put clauses into a number of their existing sponsorship deals (including their front jersey XBTO deal) and intentionally had a number of deals expire at the end of this year so they could hit the market with a full two years of Messi on the horizon, according to Inter’s chief business officer Xavier Asensi, who spoke to Sportico in September.
Additionally, Inter Miami ticket sales have skyrocketed since Messi’s arrival. Since his debut in July, Inter fans have filled the 21,000-seat DRV PNK Stadium, whether Messi played or not.
Once Messi was on the pitch, the increased attention on the team brought in more sponsors and more revenue. Two weeks after Messi debuted for Inter, Ares Management Corp. (NYSE: ARES) closed on a $75 million preferred equity stake investment in the franchise.
Weeks following Messi’s arrival, they are projecting $200 million in revenue in 2024, more than triple the target set before Messi’s arrival, according to Asensi. Last year, Sportico valued Inter Miami FC at $585 million, the 10th highest in the league, with a projected revenue of $54 million.
The team did not make it to the postseason, but thanks to Messi, they won the Leagues Cup, the club’s first trophy.
Eastern Conference Cashes on Messi (Ticket Sales)
Inter Miami’s opponents have also reported a significant boost in their match-day revenues in the second half of the season.
One of those teams was the New York Red Bulls. The team, which was scheduled to play Inter Miami on August 26, started preparing for Messi’s arrival before he even signed with the MLS club. According to team president/GM Marc de Grandpré, who spoke to Sportico at the end of August, the team lobbied the league to schedule their home game against Inter Miami in the second half of the MLS season, knowing that there was a possibility that by then Messi could be a part of that team. Once the match was on the schedule, the club decided not to sell single-game tickets, knowing that if Messi arrived, they could sell the inventory for higher prices. Grandpré’s plans paid off: Inter Miami’s game against Red Bull became the highest-grossing game in the team’s 13-year history.
A few weeks later, the Chicago Fire capitalized on Messi. The team had sold about 10,000 tickets to the Miami game earlier in the season before Messi’s arrival was announced. Following the announcement, the Fire crafted an intricate strategy to offer its most loyal fans affordable tickets to see the GOAT while also applying multiple strategies to boost season-ticket sales for the 2024 season.
The team sold out its 62,000-seat stadium, including all 130 suites, generating about 55% of the team’s ticket revenue for the whole season, according to someone familiar with the matter. As it turned out, because of an injury Messi did not play against the Chicago franchise.
The Fire and Red Bulls are not the only MLS clubs to take advantage of Messi Mania. The Philadelphia Union, who clashed with Inter at Subaru Park on August 15th in the Leagues Cup semifinal, set club records for average ticket price. The average ticket price for the Philadelphia Union-Inter Miami semifinal was $481, according to Kyle Zorn, the content strategy lead at TickPick. On average, the company sold 4.8x more tickets for games that Inter Miami played compared to the average number of tickets sold per game for the other 67 Leagues Cup matches that took place. The overall average purchase price for each game that Inter Miami has played was $256, while all other Leagues Cup games have averaged $54.
Perhaps Sporting Kansas City vs Inter played on September 9 is the best example of Messi’s impact on ticket sales. The cheapest ticket sold for this game before his arrival to Miami was announced was $16. Once he signed the contract with the South Florida franchise, the cheapest ticket sold on TickPick was $125. Once it was announced the Argentine would not play in this game due to his commitment to Argentine national team, prices plummeted, and the company sold tickets for $20.
MLS’s Most Sold Jersey
Messi’s pink No. 10 jersey has been the hottest item among soccer fans since his MLS arrival was made public in June. But for months, the jersey has been tough to find on Adidas, MLS and Fanatics platforms. “The demand for Messi’s Miami jersey has been truly unprecedented,” an Adidas spokesperson said in a statement on July 20, a month after Messi’s MLS debut was announced. “We’re working as quickly as possible to ensure every fan who wants a jersey can get one.” Adidas and Inter Miami representatives did not respond to Sportico’s request to comment on this topic, the MLS declined to comment on the specifics of the delay on MLSstore.com.
Regardless of supply and delivery issues, Messi became MLS’s most-sold kit for 2023 within 45 minutes of his jersey launch, setting a league record for revenue on MLSStore.com by a club in a single year, according to the league.
Messi’s jersey is also MLS’s most-sold jersey in the history of MLSstore.com, which launched in 2015. The league said 89% of Messi’s jersey buyers in the store are first-time customers. Messi’s jersey was Fanatics’ top seller across all sports, back in August, with Miami being the second best-selling team overall, according to the retailer.
At Soccerex in Miami earlier this month, Asensi said Adidas predicted that the club’s pink jersey would be among the top five jerseys sold by the brand next year. The German sportswear giant makes jerseys for some of the best soccer clubs in the world including Real Madrid, Manchester United and Juventus.
What’s Next?
Messi’s first season at MLS was a short one. Inter Miami finished the season 14th in the 29-team league with its star player skipping a handful of critical matches due to a groin injury.
Messi concluded the 2023 season last week in Rio de Janeiro; the 36-year-old captained his World Cup-winning national team against Brazil in historic Maracanã Stadium at the last World Cup qualifier of the year. He was a non-factor for most of the match, did not score and was substituted out in the 78th minute. Speaking to the reporters after Argentina’s 1-0 win, he confirmed his injury, while also giving a promising message to his fans around the world.
“It was my last game of the year, so I have time to get well to start 2024 giving everything.”
