Lionel Messi's shock move to Inter Miami this summer has transformed the MLS club overnight. They've gone from MLS strugglers to the hottest ticket in town. But just how has the arrival of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner turned Inter Miami into a $1.5 billion franchise?
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00:00 Lionel Messi's shock move to Inter Miami this summer has transformed the Mills Club overnight.
00:06 They've gone from Mills strugglers to the hottest ticket in town.
00:09 But just how has the arrival of the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner turned Inter Miami into
00:13 a 1.5 billion franchise?
00:15 After dominating European soccer for over 15 years with Barcelona and a short stint
00:38 at Paris-Germain, Messi stunned the world by inking a two-year deal with Mills' expansion
00:43 side Inter Miami this summer.
00:45 The numbers behind the deal are eye-watering.
00:48 Messi will earn $75 million per season in salary.
00:52 That's the highest single season salary in American sports history.
00:55 He also received an ownership stake in the club, rumored to be around 10%.
01:01 For an hour, we are in Miami, owner David Beckham signing Messi as the fulfillment of
01:08 a dream he's held since he started the franchise back in 2018.
01:12 Beckham and Messi have a long history from their time battling it out in El Clasico.
01:22 So what exactly does Messi's arrival mean for Inter Miami?
01:26 Let's take a look at the numbers.
01:30 On the day his signing was announced, Messi's at-30 Inter Miami jersey broke the Mills'
01:36 single-day sales record.
01:38 Over 10,000 were sold in the first 12 hours.
01:40 That's more than the team sold all of last season.
01:44 Demand is so high, the club has placed an emergency order for 300,000 more jerseys to
01:51 meet demand.
01:52 Analysts project Messi's jersey will become the highest selling in Mills' history.
01:58 Attendance in Miami averaged around 17,000 fans per game last season.
02:04 Their temporary stadium only holds 20,000, but for Messi's debut match, over 50,000
02:10 fans packed into the stadium, with many more turned away.
02:14 The club is rushing to complete construction on their new $1 billion Miami Freedom Park
02:20 Stadium, which will hold 25,000.
02:23 Based on demand, analysts project Inter Miami will sell out every game next season for an
02:28 average attendance of 40,000 per game.
02:31 From 17th to 14th per game, the Messi effect is real.
02:36 Viewership.
02:37 Last season, Inter Miami averaged around 100,000 viewers per televised match.
02:42 But Messi's debut match drew 3.2 million viewers on ESPN, shattering the previous Miles'
02:49 viewership record by over 2 million.
02:52 Suddenly, Inter Miami games will be must.
02:56 See TV.
02:57 The increase in attendance and viewership means rapidly rising ticket sales and media
03:02 rights revenues.
03:04 Social media growth.
03:05 In the 48 hours after Messi signed, Inter Miami gained over 2 million followers on Instagram.
03:11 They're now the most followed club in Mills.
03:13 Their social media engagement is up 5,000 since Messi joined his fans' clamor for exclusive
03:19 access and content.
03:21 This provides a whole new platform for sponsorships.
03:24 Messi's numbers demonstrate the sheer dominance Messi has to capture an audience.
03:29 It's exactly why Inter Miami chased his signature so hard.
03:33 But perhaps the most staggering impact comes from Inter Miami's valuation.
03:38 Valuation.
03:40 Inter Miami paid a 25 million expansion fee to join Mills in 2018.
03:45 Back then, the club was valued at around 150 million.
03:49 After just two seasons in Miles, Inter Miami was valued at 600 million in 2020.
03:55 Two, according to Forbes rankings.
03:57 But now, analysts estimate the Messi effect will see Inter Miami's valuation skyrocket
04:04 to 1.5 billion by next season.
04:07 That's a tanks increase in just three years.
04:09 The Messi effect has made Inter Miami one of the most valuable franchises in sports
04:13 seemingly overnight.
04:15 These numbers are simply staggering.
04:17 How does Messi's impact compare with other star athletes like LeBron James, Tom Brady,
04:22 and Cristiano Ronaldo?
04:24 LeBron James instantly turned the Lakers back into contenders when he signed in 2018.
04:29 But the revenue he generates pales in comparison to Messi's global appeal.
04:34 Tom Brady brought a winning pedigree to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.
04:38 But the NL's salary cap limits his earning power and ability to escalate a franchise's
04:44 wealth.
04:45 Cristiano Ronaldo had a similar effect in Italy with Juventus.
04:49 But Messi dwarfs even Ronaldo's star power.
04:52 The fact is, there is no athlete in sports today who can transform a team's financial
04:56 fortunes like Lionel Messi.
04:58 He stands in a class of his own.
05:00 Sure, 75 million per year is an astronomical salary.
05:05 But for Inter Miami, the return on investment is a no-brainer.
05:10 Messi will catalyze growth across every revenue stream, from ticket sales to sponsorship deals.
05:17 He could earn Inter Miami an extra $200 to $300 million per season.
05:21 Within five years, Inter Miami could be earning over $500 million in revenue and be worth
05:26 $5 billion.
05:27 All thanks to Lionel Messi's pulls power.
05:30 For David Beckham and Inter Miami's owners, this is their dream scenario.
05:35 Signing Messi instantly turns them into one of the super clubs of world soccer.
05:40 So the next time you hear about Messi's outrageous contract, just remember, it's an investment
05:45 that will pay for itself tenfold.
05:47 The world's greatest soccer player has taken his talents to Miami and turned Inter Miami
05:52 into a billion-dollar franchise overnight.
05:55 This is the Lionel Messi effect in full force.
05:58 The numbers don't lie!
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