How did the Messi Cam on TikTok go?

The 2024 playoffs of Major League Football, North America's leading football league that is also making waves outside the USA and Canada thanks to its biggest star - Lionel Messi - have begun. After last week's playoffs, won by the Vancouver Whitecaps and Atlanta United, this weekend saw the debut of this postseason's favourites: Inter Miami and Los Angeles Galaxy, respectively number one in the Eastern Conference (Supporters' Shield winners) and number one in the Western Conference; and if there were no big surprises on the pitch, with the double home win in the first legs, on the small screen however, the smartphone, it wasn't just any weekend for the MLS.

In fact, the 90 minutes between Inter Miami and Atlanta was a historic milestone from a television, or rather digital distribution, product perspective. It was the first usable football match - for viewers around the world, for free - with a live broadcast on social media focussed exclusively on one player, the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner of course. The “Messi Cam” followed the Argentinian on the pitch throughout the match, offering viewers connected to TikTok a fascinating novelty and a brilliant example of unconventional marketing. Something similar was done last season, also with the same protagonist, but then for a U.S. Open Cup match (the equivalent of the Italian Cup) and for TV audiences only.

The “Messi Cam”

“Player Spotlight” is the name of the programme published in collaboration with MLS and Inter Miami, on whose profiles the live broadcast was published on Saturday Night. All this, of course, with the approval of AppleTV, the official broadcaster of the tournament, which broadcast the game in parallel on its own platforms, the old-fashioned way. According to estimates that cannot yet be verified, an average of 125-150 thousand people watched the event on TikTok. Several million users tuned into the livestream to catch at least a glimpse of Messi's MLS playoff debut - up close and literally not taking their eyes off it. An acronym that seems to refer to Messi League Football, and not just for technical reasons.

At Chase Stadium, Inter Miami won 2-1 thanks to goals from two more former Barcelona players, Luis Suarez and Jordi Alba - but how was the experience on TikTok? The initial feedback is mixed. Certainly, the “Messi Cam” is not a type of entertainment that will be appreciated by those who are interested in, or at least fascinated by, the progress of the game. As much as the ability to watch his every move with and without the ball may spark interest, the limitations are pretty obvious; they were noticeable after just a few minutes with Suarez's goal, of which the live feed showed nothing but his team-mate's celebration; and they occurred generally throughout the game and especially in the second half, when the shot lingered long on the number 10 as he walked away from the action as usual. Of course, a goal from him would have been an atmospheric moment for the crowd, who instead had to make do with the assist for Jordi Alba's fine goal from outside the box and a couple of Messi-esque moves. On the other hand, it could have been even worse: Imagine an Inter Miami defeat, perhaps with a missed penalty by the number 10 himself; or the interruption of the live stream in the event of an unexpected exit of its protagonist from the pitch, due to a physical problem or even a sending off.

Understandably, those who had expected to experience the game through the eyes of Messi himself, in a so-called “point of view” (POV) and thus through the lens of a bodycam, were disappointed. Indeed, rumours had been circulating over the past week, also reported by international newspapers and media, that the Argentine would play the game with a micro-camera attached to his shirt; in reality, however, the perspective offered to spectators was the traditional TV shot with a 90-minute zoom on the hosts' star. Nothing revolutionary, then, and we await the day -perhaps in the not too distant future - when footage will reach us directly from the pitch, even in a contact sport like football where obstacles are irrelevant (at least at the current state of technology).

In any case, the experiment has once again shown how creatively the MLS is using the most popular player in the world for his media presence to strengthen its brand worldwide. It is relying on a tool that can capture new market segments, TikTok, and on an athlete who alone generates more interest than all American football teams put together.

“Messi mania”

Messi's arrival in July 2023 was, as they would say overseas, a “game changer” event for the US league; a true watershed event, as shown by figures from the last two years describing a boom in the MLS in terms of popularity, revenue and appeal. The data provides a sharp picture of the so-called Messi effect, which has benefited not only his attacking partner (Suarez, 20 goals for the season) and Inter Miami (74 points, new record), but the entire league. On the pitch, he has shown that he is still capable of making the difference at the age of 37, which is of course favoured by a less competitive environment compared to European standards. La Pulce is a candidate for the title of MVP, even if he is only used sporadically due to a number of physical ailments and commitments with the Argentinian national team. Nevertheless, the numbers speak in favour of his candidacy: 20 goals and 18 assists in 20 games, including the hat-trick on the last matchday when he was substituted from the bench half an hour before the end to put an exclamation mark behind the team's great year. However, it's no exaggeration to say that his impact off the pitch has been even greater.

His landing in Florida has made the David Beckham owned club a centre of attraction for several big names: In addition to the aforementioned Jordi Alba and Luis Suarez, Sergio Busquets and Gerardo “Tata” Martinez, who lead the midfield and technical staff respectively, have also arrived. A magnetic effect that is reflected in the stands at the Chase Stadium, which have always been sold out in the games in which Leo has been available and full of shirts with the number 10 on the shoulders. The league's average attendance is over 23 thousand (+14% compared to 2022) and fan loyalty has increased significantly (+12% in season subscriptions); Messi's jersey from the retro adidas x MLS Archive line is thus proving to be one of the best-selling in the world in its second year and is even sold by European non-sports brands such as Bershka and Primark.

And so the "Messi Mania" could go on: the increase in sponsorship revenue (between 10% and 15%, both for the clubs and the federation) and the signing of new commercial contracts (18 for MLS alone in 2024); the growth of the league on social media (+26% TikTok, +21% YouTube, +10% Instagram) and of the club itself (9. 5 million followers on TikTok and 17.2 million on Instagram, ranking the league first and third respectively among all US sports franchises); the constant presence of sports stars and celebrities in the stands, such as at Friday night's game, which featured Odell Beckham Jr, Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson and Idris Elba. The combination of all these factors has led to MLS increasing its revenue by 13 per cent in just twelve months. This has laid the foundations for a future in which football has an ambitious medium to long-term goal: to compete with the major football leagues of the old continent (Premier League, La Liga, Serie A and Bundesliga). A goal that no longer seems to be a mirage after the emergence of Lionel Messi.