Measuring Lionel Messi's decision to join Inter Miami of MLS

It's a massive leap for the South Florida club; Inter Miami ranked 23rd out of 29 MLS franchises in average attendance in 2022. But it's also huge for MLS as a whole, because half of those sellouts are for away matches. The Athletic reported that some MLS clubs, heartened by these numbers, are considering moving their Miami games to larger stadiums in order to keep the ticket sales flowing.

Apple TV is expecting massive subscription gains. Apple TV is the streaming home of MLS for 2023 and beyond. It is offering a 50 percent discount on MLS Season Passes to capitalize on Messi mania. The company is so confident in Messi's ability to drive subscriptions that it helped finance his transfer in the first place.

Adidas is anticipating record-breaking interest in Inter Miami jerseys. Adidas expects to sell thousands of Inter Miami Messi jerseys. Interest in the shirts has already spiked, despite no one knowing which number Messi will wear. 

In 2022, LAFC -- the top-earning team in MLS -- reported revenues of $110 million. By contrast, in 2022 Messi sold $130m worth of just jerseys at Paris Saint Germain. That's a lot of sweat-wicking fabric.

The kicker to all of this is the uncertainty around Messi's move. We still don't know when Messi will arrive, when he will play his first game, what stadiums he will play in or what number he will wear. None of it matters. The mere promise of the man is enough. 

Welcome to a new era of soccer in America.