Inter Miami made a big bet on Messi and it’s paying off

“Inter Miami has an international appeal, which is a very big difference for this team (compared to before Messi joined),” said Luciana Resende Lotze, Visa marketing director for Latin America and the Caribbean. “Although they are obviously a team from the United States that play in the MLS, they have a lot of fans all over the world. That’s why the partnership is international and the idea is that we can then do these promotions and talk about this sponsorship around the world.”

Lowe’s, a brand considered a direct competitor to official MLS partner Home Depot, also wanted to partner with Inter Miami due to its wide reach following Messi’s arrival. The company’s vice president of brand marketing, Gerardo Soto, confirmed that Lowe’s was not interested in competing for a league-wide sponsorship and acknowledged that it made more sense for the North Carolina-based brand to work directly with Miami.

“Inter Miami has not only become a fixture in the South Florida market given the growth it has experienced over the past year, with the arrival of Messi and several other stars they have signed, but now also a national player.” Brand, honestly,” he said. “You can go to any game and see half the stadium full of Inter Miami jerseys and the other half is the local team. And they’re all there to see Messi.”

Lowe’s also independently signed Messi to a separate contract, becoming the first soccer player 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 was worth it.

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

Jerseys and tickets are in high demand

Sponsorship is just one way for Inter Miami to increase its revenue, Asensi said. Traditionally, there are three pillars that account for the majority of team income: (1) sponsorships or commercial partnerships; (2) game day operations, including ticket sales and concessions, and; (3) Broadcast Rights.

Inter Miami does not expect to receive revenue from broadcast rights because Major League Soccer is a sole proprietorship. The league consolidated the media rights – combining the broadcast licenses of all 29 clubs – and sold them to Apple as part of a combined deal that exclusively streams MLS games on Apple TV. Under this system, each MLS team receives a share of the contract with Apple, and there is no way for clubs to increase their share. (Inter Miami declined to disclose the amount raised by the Apple deal.)

But the South Florida club is seeing strong revenue growth from the team’s gaming experience and online merchandise, thanks in large part to Messi mania.

Messi’s Inter Miami CF jersey is the best-selling sports jersey in the Adidas sports portfolio, according to the club, and is ranked No. 1 in the list of best-selling MLS jerseys in 2024. His jersey also topped the MLS rankings in 2023. per MLS, even though he only signed midseason.

Messi’s teammate Luis Suárez’s jersey is ranked No. 2 on the list of best-selling Adidas MLS jerseys for 2024 on the league’s online store. Inter Miami’s players secured four spots on the top 25 jersey list: Messi at No. 1, Suarez at No. 2, Sergio Busquets at No. 11 and Jordi Alba at No. 15.

From 2022 to July 2024, overall MLS jersey sales have increased by 41% – not least due to the arrival of Messi, which was followed by the additions of Suarez, Busquets and Alba.

“The owners of Inter Miami have said from the 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 2023 League Cup title, 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 glimpse of the team’s new reality. Thousands flocked to Chase Stadium and fans lined up around the block to buy the now famous pink 2023 home jersey while tickets sold out on Ticketmaster.

Demand has not subsided either. Inter Miami had sold out its supply of season tickets months before the start of the 2024 season before the schedule was announced, and fans renewed the contract at a club record 90%, which the team said was among the highest in the league. This is despite Miami’s higher ticket prices 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 the northwest midfield section, up 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 court-level side game package that included food and beverages. Reigning MLS champions Columbus Crew are offering fans options this season starting at $657 in the North Corner, Lower.com Field’s main fan area, while premium seats cost up to $8,478. The LA Galaxy’s 2025 deals start at $481 for backers and cap 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 desperate to see Messi are willing to pay for it.

The sources of income for game operations extend beyond tickets to goods sold in the team shop. Since Messi’s arrival, fans from around the world continue to flock to 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 shop from Monday to Friday all year round. Before Messi’s arrival, the store was only open on match days or on very select occasions.

But even outside of the MLS regular season or playoffs, Inter Miami can benefit from fans desperate 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.

This past offseason, the team took part in the club’s first-ever world tour, playing in El Salvador, Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Japan.

The governments of El Salvador and Hong Kong both paid an undisclosed amount to Inter Miami to play against their national team in the friendly. In Hong Kong, the government confirmed it spent nearly $2 million organizing the game, although it is unclear how much of that went to Inter Miami. Inter Miami did not want to disclose the income from the individual preseason test matches.

While 2024 is already a historic year for the club on and off the pitch, Miami is already leveraging the momentum created by Messi for the future.

The club recently broke ground on its new stadium, Miami Freedom Park, which features “58 acres of public parks and green spaces, a technology center, restaurants and shops, community soccer fields, a 25,000-capacity stadium for Inter Miami and much more “has characteristics.”

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 inaugurate 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 striker extends his contract and inaugurates the new facility, but if he does, Miami can expect an even bigger economic boom.