- The arrival of Lionel Messi to the MLS has shocked the entire league
- And fans will soon be able to watch it with unprecedented access.
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Lionel Messi has dramatically changed the landscape of MLS and could soon help revolutionize the way soccer fans can watch the league.
MLS has partnered with Apple since signing a 10-year, $2.5 billion exclusive streaming deal before last season.
And fans may soon be able to watch Messi in more than just a traditional broadcast, as one tech expert predicted fans could use Apple’s Vision Pro headphones to get a stunning up-close view of the action within weeks.
“There’s a good chance that in a few weeks or at least a year, when (Lionel) Messi takes a free kick, I can come onto the pitch and stand next to him in the box and watch.” or take the goalie position,” said Matthew Ball, author of the best-selling book ‘The Metaverse.’ Yahoo! Finance.
“And I think that’s going to be notable and probably push this device forward in ways we never would have imagined a year ago.”
Lionel Messi’s arrival to MLS has had huge ramifications for the league and Inter Miami
And fans will soon be able to see it in an extremely close view on Apple’s Vision Pro.
According to Apple, its Vision Pro headphones can “transform any room into a personal theater for sports and TV shows.”
Using their eyes, hands, and voice, users of the product can do things like browse Safari, make friends on FaceTime, and even tour homes virtually.
Ball, as noted by Yahoo!, predicted in an interview on the Stratechery podcast that sales of the Vision Pro headphones will benefit from the Apple MLS deal.
However, the league has evidently seen an increase in viewership since Messi joined Inter Miami in July.
Apple’s Vision Pro headphones can “transform any room into a personal sports theater”
According to a tweet from Miami owner Jorge Mas, MLS Season Pass subscriptions doubled after Messi’s debut on July 21.
Besides, sports business journal reported earlier this month that the league surpassed 2 million subscribers by the end of the 2023 season, although that includes season ticket holders who get the service for free and others who had received free promotions.
Messi scored his first goal of the season on Sunday as Miami salvaged a 1-1 draw at the LA Galaxy.
The Argentine combined with Jordi Alba to achieve the tie in the 92nd minute.
In Miami’s first game, Messi assisted Robert Taylor as the Herons began their season with a 2-0 win in South Florida.
