MLS
Lionel Messi’s major MLS impact
Since Messi arrived in MLS, he has scored seven goals and registered one assist in the Leagues Cup.
The subscriptions to watch MLS matches and especially those of Inter Miami, where Lionel Messi plays, have doubled with the so-called ‘Messi Effect’,” reveals Inter Miami co-owner Jorge Mas.
Mas confirmed that Apple TV figures have doubled since Messi arrived in MLS, where he has scored seven goals and registered one assist in the Leagues Cup, the competition in which Inter Miami will play in the quarter-finals against Charlotte FC on Friday.
“The Messi effect is real! Subscribers to MLS Season Pass on Apple TV have more than doubled since Messi joined Inter Miami,” wrote Mas on X. The American businessman runs Inter Miami alongside his brother, José Mas, and former soccer star David Beckham.
Messi’s matches
Mas added: “Spanish language viewership on MLS Season Pass on Apple TV has surpassed over 50% for Messi matches and continues to rise.”
Messi mania continues to grow, not only with TV subscribers, but also with the sale of Inter Miami shirts and other kinds of merchandising.
Who are the Mas brothers?
Jorge Mas was born in 1963 and his brother José in 1965, both in Miami. The fortune of the Mas brothers is owed to their Cuban father, Jorge Mas Canosa who arrived in exile in the United States due to his opposition to the government of Fidel Castro.
Mas Senior founded MasTec, a construction and engineering company. The multinational construction company provides installation, construction, and maintenance services for energy infrastructure for public services and communications. In 2022, MasTec reported $9.8 billion in revenue.
José is the current of the firm, which is the second largest Hispanic-owned company in the United States. Jorge is the Chairman of the Board of Companies and former CEO of Coral Gables-based MasTec.
In addition to being a billionaire businessman and president and largest shareholder of MasTec, Jorge is president of the Cuban American National Foundation and president of Spanish Second Division club Real Zaragoza.