Latest news with #PlayerSpotlight:Messi
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Inter Miami's Lionel Messi to star in MLS TikTok livestream during August Leagues Cup match
'Messi cam' will track the Argentine star throughout entire match Stream will feature mobile-friendly vertical format with custom graphics Previous Messi-focused stream in Oct. 2024 drew 6.4 million viewers WHAT HAPPENED Major League Soccer announced Thursday that Lionel Messi will be the focus of an exclusive TikTok livestream during Inter Miami's Aug. 2 Leagues Cup matchup with Necaxa. The special broadcast will feature a dedicated camera tracking the 38-year-old Argentine superstar throughout the entire game, presented in a mobile-friendly vertical format with custom graphics. MLS is calling the broadcast series "Player Spotlight: Messi" and plans to produce a total of four such streams during the 2025 season. THE BIGGER PICTURE This continues an approach MLS first tested in October 2024, when a similar Messi-focused stream during his playoff debut attracted 6.4 million viewers across the league and team's TikTok pages, making it the most widely viewed sporting event in Apple history according to the company. The match, Messi's playoff debut, saw the Herons defeat Atlanta United 2-1 in game one of their Best-of-3 series that eventually saw the South Beach club eliminated in the opening round of the postseason. MLS commissioner Don Garber spoke Wednesday ahead of the MLS All-Star Game, claiming the league is averaging 120,000 unique viewers per season pass stream in 2025. The number is an "almost 50 percent" increase from last year, per Garber. In April, MLS and TikTok announced a multi-year partnership to bring live match highlights and fan reactions to the platform. Now, come the Leagues Cup, a live match will be shown as the Herons clash with Necaxa - a club co-owned by a group of A-list celebrities including Ryan Reynolds, Rob McElhenney, Mesut Özil, Kate Upton, Odell Beckham Jr., Justin Verlander, Victor Oladipo, and Eva Longoria. WHAT SETH BACON SAID 'Everything we're doing is focused on fan growth,' MLS EVP of media Seth Bacon said in an interview via Sportico. 'We're a league that is going to put the content where the people is on Apple, but we're also going to find you in other ways, so that you can see it, experience it, and then you know that it's on Apple.' 'We have the ability to say, 'Hey, come this way, or come this way, or come this way,' Bacon added. 'We've got ways to entertain and engage people, no matter what level of interest they have.' WHAT'S NEXT? Messi and his teammate Jordi Alba could face a suspension for Inter Miami's game against FC Cincinnati on July 26 after failing to show up for the MLS All-Star game. The TikTok stream will be the first of four planned "Player Spotlight: Messi" broadcasts scheduled for the 2025 season, though MLS has not yet announced the dates for the remaining three streams. Inter Miami will face Atlas first in the Leagues Cup on July 30 and then Necaxa on Aug. 2 before their final group stage game against Pumas UNAM on Aug. 6.
Yahoo
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
'Messi cam' on TikTok live will let you follow Inter Miami star in MLS games
Lionel Messi fans will be able to watch the Argentine World Cup champion again on a solo TikTok live stream for four upcoming matches. TikTok, Major League Soccer, and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV are bringing back "Player Spotlight: Messi" — a special live stream offering fans an all-Messi match view. The live streams will be shown on the @MLS, @InterMiamiCF and @AppleTV TikTok accounts, starting with Inter Miami's second Leagues Cup match against Necaxa on Aug. 2. The other three live stream dates will be announced at a later time. Last season's Messi live stream during Inter Miami's playoff opener against Atlanta United drew more than 6.4 million viewers, setting the record for the largest live audience for a U.S. sports event on TikTok. Apple also said the Oct. 25, 2024 match was their most widely viewed sporting event. 'After the overwhelming success of Player Spotlight: Messi, which delivered our biggest-ever live U.S. sports audience on TikTok, we knew we had to bring it back,' said Rollo Goldstaub, Global Head of Sports Partnerships at TikTok, in a statement. The league is 'pushing the boundaries of how fans experience the game,' says MLS Executive Vice President of Media Seth Bacon. 'With this collaboration, we're bringing fans even closer to one of the greatest players of all time — in a way that's dynamic, immersive, and made for the next generation of fans,' Bacon said. 'We're proud to keep innovating with partners like Apple and TikTok to create unforgettable moments.' This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Messi cam: How to watch Lionel Messi on TikTok live in MLS matches
USA Today
4 days ago
- Entertainment
- USA Today
'Messi cam' on TikTok live will let you follow Inter Miami star in MLS games
Lionel Messi fans will be able to watch the Argentine World Cup champion again on a solo TikTok live stream for four upcoming matches. TikTok, Major League Soccer, and MLS Season Pass on Apple TV are bringing back "Player Spotlight: Messi" — a special live stream offering fans an all-Messi match view. The live streams will be shown on the @MLS, @InterMiamiCF and @AppleTV TikTok accounts, starting with Inter Miami's second Leagues Cup match against Necaxa on Aug. 2. The other three live stream dates will be announced at a later time. Last season's Messi live stream during Inter Miami's playoff opener against Atlanta United drew more than 6.4 million viewers, setting the record for the largest live audience for a U.S. sports event on TikTok. Apple also said the Oct. 25, 2024 match was their most widely viewed sporting event. 'After the overwhelming success of Player Spotlight: Messi, which delivered our biggest-ever live U.S. sports audience on TikTok, we knew we had to bring it back,' said Rollo Goldstaub, Global Head of Sports Partnerships at TikTok, in a statement. The league is 'pushing the boundaries of how fans experience the game,' says MLS Executive Vice President of Media Seth Bacon. 'With this collaboration, we're bringing fans even closer to one of the greatest players of all time — in a way that's dynamic, immersive, and made for the next generation of fans,' Bacon said. 'We're proud to keep innovating with partners like Apple and TikTok to create unforgettable moments.'
