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!
05:59 [BLANK_AUDIO]
Comments