“Inter Miami has an international appeal, which is a very big difference for that team (compared to before Messi joined),” said Luciana Resende Lotze, Visa’s head of marketing for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Despite being obviously a team from the United States playing in the MLS, it has a lot of fans all over the world. That’s why the partnership is international and the idea is that we can then do those promotions and talk about them all over the world.” sponsorship.” .”

Lowe’s, a brand that is a direct rival to official MLS partner Home Depot, also appeared to be aligned with Inter Miami due to their widespread reach following Messi’s arrival. The company’s vice president of brand marketing, Gerardo Soto, confirmed that Lowe’s was not interested in participating in league-wide sponsorships, admitting that it made more sense for the North Carolina-based brand to work directly with Miami.

“Inter Miami has enjoyed the growth they have experienced over the past year and with the arrival of Messi and some of the other stars they have produced, not only have they become a staple of the South Florida market, they are now also an international player .” brand, honestly,” he said. “You can go to any game and you see half the stadium full of Inter Miami jerseys and the other half is the local team. And they are all there to see Messi.”

Lowe also independently signed Messi to a separate deal, becoming the first footballer to join the roster of NFL and NBA players sponsored by the home improvement company. Just four months after announcing the partnership with Inter Miami and Messi, Soto said Lowe’s investment has been worth it.

“These partnerships have already been a huge success for us and have given us tangible results,” he said.

Jerseys and tickets are in high demand

Sponsorships are just one way Inter Miami is increasing its revenue, Asensi said. Traditionally, there are three pillars that drive the majority of the team’s revenue: (1) sponsorship or commercial partnerships; (2) game day activities, including ticket sales and concessions, and; (3) broadcasting rights.

Inter Miami does not rely on broadcast rights revenue due to Major League Soccer’s single-entity operations. The league consolidated the media rights – grouping together the broadcast licenses of all 29 clubs – to sell as a combined deal to Apple, which exclusively streams MLS games on Apple TV. Under this system, every MLS team gets a cut of its contract with Apple, and there is no way for clubs to increase their share. (Inter Miami declined to disclose the amount earned from the Apple deal.)

But the South Florida club is seeing a lot of revenue growth thanks to the team’s gaming experience and online merchandise, largely driven by Messi mania.

Messi’s Inter Miami CF jersey is the best-selling jersey in the Adidas sports portfolio, according to the club, and ranked No. 1 on the list of best-selling MLS jerseys in 2024. His jersey also topped the MLS rankings in 2023, per MLS , despite only signing halfway through the season.

The shirt of Messi’s teammate, Luis Suárez, is number 2 on the list of best-selling Adidas MLS jerseys for 2024 on the league’s online store. Inter Miami players secured four spots on the top 25 jersey list: Messi at number 1, Suarez at number 2, Sergio Busquets at number 11 and Jordi Alba at number 15.

From 2022 to July 2024, MLS jersey sales have increased by 41% overall – thanks in no small part to the arrival of Messi, which was followed by the additions of Suarez, Busquets and Alba.

“Inter Miami ownership has said from the very beginning: our goal has always been to be a global club with strong roots in our South Florida community,” the club said in a statement. “With the signings of Lionel Messi, Luis Suárez, Sergio Busquets and Jordi Alba, as well as the club’s historic Leagues Cup title in 2023, there is no doubt that Inter Miami CF is revolutionizing football in North America.”

Messi’s debut in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on July 21, 2023 against Cruz Azul was the first look at the team’s new reality. Thousands flocked to Chase Stadium, with fans queuing for the opportunity to buy the now famous pink 2023 home kit as tickets sold out on Ticketmaster.

Demand has not decreased either. Inter Miami sold their season ticket offer months ahead of the 2024 season, before the schedule was revealed, and fans renewed at a club record 90%, which the team claims is among the highest in the league. This is despite Miami’s premium prices for tickets compared to the rest of the MLS.

In 2024, Inter Miami season tickets ranged from $867 to $2,720 for standard seats, $4,420 to $7,650 in northwest center field, to $13,005 for club seats and $42,840 for suites. By comparison, Orlando City’s 2024 season tickets started at $324 for the fan section and topped out at $2,898 for a side package at field level, including food and drinks. Reigning MLS champion Columbus Crew is offering fans options starting at $657 this season in the Nordecke, the main supporters’ area of ​​Lower.com Field, while premium seating goes up to $8,478. The 2025 LA Galaxy offer starts at $481 for supporters and maxes out at $7,790.

Overall, season ticket prices vary across the league, but Miami’s packages are currently among the most expensive in MLS – and fans eager to see Messi are willing to pay for it.

The revenue streams from game day operations extend beyond tickets to merchandise sold in the team store. Since Messi’s arrival, fans from around the world continue to flood the small team store at Chase Stadium in search of authentic jerseys, Messi-themed T-shirts and a variety of unique Miami memorabilia. Given the demand for merchandise, the club decided to open the team store from Monday to Friday all year round. Before Messi’s arrival, the store was only open on game days or during very limited occasions.

But even outside of the MLS regular season or the playoffs, Inter Miami can still benefit from fans eager to see Messi. Since Messi’s arrival, the three-month break between the MLS Cup in early December and the start of the new season in late February has been an opportunity to generate revenue.

Last season the team took part in the club’s first ever global tour with matches in El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan.

The governments of El Salvador and Hong Kong both paid an undisclosed sum to Inter Miami to play against their national team in the friendly. In Hong Kong, the government confirmed it had spent almost $2 million to stage the match, although it is unclear how much of that went to Inter Miami. Inter Miami will not reveal the revenues from each preseason friendly match.

While 2024 is already a historic year for the club, both on and off the field, Miami is already capitalizing on the momentum Messi has created for the future.

The club recently broke ground on their new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, which features “58 acres of public parks and green space, a technology center, restaurants and shops, community soccer fields, a 25,000-seat stadium for Inter Miami, and many more features.

Messi’s contract runs through the 2025 MLS season with an additional option for 2026, giving Inter Miami a glimmer of hope that the star player will usher in Miami Freedom Park. Despite the uncertainty, the team is using Messi’s current momentum to boost season ticket sales and potential sponsors.

Time will tell if the forward extends his contract and takes over the new facility, but if he does, Miami can expect an even bigger economic boom.