MLS
MLS are already on the search for Lionel Messi 2.0
The MLS commissioner is fully aware of the impact Lionel Messi has had on the league and wants to find another player who can contribute in a similar way.
The start of the 2024 MLS season is finally here. Messi is preparing to start his first full campaign since he landed in the United States to wear the colours of Inter Miami, and the impact of the Argentine has been reflected in huge increases to ticket prices, sponsorship deals, and TV subscriptions, merchandise numbers and general interest in the sport.
Despite this, Messi is only the first step for the MLS commissioner, Don Garber, and the entire MLS team, who are already proposing a new strategy to continue to attract players who could have the same impact as the world champion.
‘Messi took the MLS to a height that is difficult to imagine’
“Ticket sales, sponsorship sales, subscription sales — the revenue will continue to follow Messi being in our league, but to me, it’s way more important to look at it strategically”, said MLS Commissioner Don Garber during an interview with Sports & Business Journal.
“Major League Soccer”, he continued, “due to Messi’s desire to come to our league and choose Major League Soccer and Inter Miami, we’re part of the global conversation. As you read interviews with players around the world, the biggest names in the sport, MLS is constantly part of the message. That dynamic is something that I think will be part of the next generation of MLS growth for years to come,” Garber added.
MLS know that they will have the spotlight on the country over the coming years. The Copa América will be played there this June; a year later the Club World Cup will be in the US; in two years time the attention will focus once again on the nation as it hosts the 2026 World Cup along with Mexico and Canada.
“Messi took the MLS to a height that is difficult to imagine, but we have many more things to celebrate. Messi’s arrival crowned much of the work done by the league both on and off the field, it helped deliver the message that MLS can be the league of choice for the best players in the world,” he said in a press conference.
‘Messi is just the beginning of something big’
According to British journalist Duncan Castles, MLS is proposing a long-term strategy to bring French star Kylian Mbappé to the league. Christian Pulisic, the star of the United States national team, is another name that has been considered as the new image of the league, while other world-class figures such as Luis Suárez and Hugo Lloris have landed in the United States for the 2024 season.
Don Garber echoed the idea, saying “Messi is just the start of something big.” The commissioner also recognised that subscription sales have increased between 15 and 20% compared to the same period last year, and the vast majority of our clubs are well ahead of the pace of last year: “subscription income has increased by 25%; sponsorship revenue is increasing; club sponsorship revenue is up 15%; sponsorship revenue in Canada increased by 45%; revenue from consumer products is up by 45%.”
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Don Garber also spoke about the relationship that the MLS has had with Apple, the company that exclusively broadcasts every MLS game; last summer, the league sealed a $250 million agreement for the next 10 years.
“We had a level of total commitment to get this up and running in less than a year and show all of our games. Now, we’ve had a season to work with Apple to improve our offering and look at different ways to approach our study programs using technology, both in terms of the Season Pass and the interface, but also what we might be thinking about. It could be the future of consumption. “Apple Vision Pro is an example of this,” he added.