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Lionel Messi will be out of contract with Inter Miami at the end of the 2025 MLS campaign. Despite that being almost two full seasons away, the emphasis for Major League Soccer is clear. If it does not lock down Messi for more time, it risks losing the momentum the Argentine has built on MLS Season Pass. Messi has helped the league develop its subscriber base in his brief time in Miami. If he leaves after the 2025 campaign, droves of global soccer fans will not have the impetus to subscribe.
There is one key figure that Major League Soccer will have an eye on. The league has yet to hit its subscriber goal that Apple set for the league. The unspecified threshold for the number of subscriptions must be reached for MLS to generate rights revenue beyond the $250 million Apple pays for each season of the league. If it surpasses that magical subscriber number, crucially MLS will earn 50 cents for every $1 MLS Season Pass earned. That money can go back into the league to help in various ways. For example, MLS could move to sign more stars and build a further base.
MLS needs to surpass the minimum guarantee
In December 2023, MLS Commissioner Don Garber said he was confident MLS Season Pass would hit that threshold that launches the revenue sharing. In his own words, he said, “It’s a partnership, and that’s the most different aspect of it. After we hit the minimum guarantee from Apple, we make 50 cents of every dollar. That’s the risk in this deal. I’m highly, highly confident we’ll get into that revenue share.”
As of press time, MLS has still not hit that subscriber number despite having a reported two million subscribers.
Apple and MLS have been mute on what exactly that threshold is. Plus, currently, a chunk of those do not pay for their MLS Season Pass subscription. Season ticket holders, for example, get the product for free.
Moreover, Messi’s arrival in the summer of 2023 led to rapid growth for MLS Season Pass. Some reports claim…
Source link : https://worldsoccertalk.com/news/mls-needs-messi-to-renew-contract-to-boost-mls-season-pass-20240306-WST-493433.html
Author : Kyle Fansler
Publish date : 2024-04-17 19:45:27
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