Subscriptions for Apple Inc (NASDAQ:AAPL) MLS Season Pass streaming service are surging as fans clamor to watch Lionel Messi in the US soccer league.
Since Messi’s debut with Inter Miami on July 21, MLS Season Pass has seen a 1,690% surge in US signups, according to reports — including 110,000 the day of the match, which, fittingly, ended with a game-winning goal from Messi in stoppage time.
Crucially for Apple, roughly 15% of MLS Season Pass subscribers have also become Apple TV+ subscribers, according to the analytics firm Antenna. Nearly half of the new subscribers were already Apple TV+ members when they added MLS Season Pass, which costs $12.99 per month.
Messi also makes a cut of the revenue from new MLS Season Pass subscriptions, according to reports. As such, he routinely posts a signup link on match days.
Apple hasn’t said just how many subscribers MLS Season Pass has in total, but the SVP Eddy Cue said the service is performing “much better than forecasted.”
The company acquired the exclusive rights to stream matches internationally with a 10-year, $2.5 billion deal signed in 2022.
Contact Andrew Kessel at andrew.kessel@proactiveinvestors.com
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