How to watch Inter Miami CF games amid Lionel Messi's speculated signing
MIAMI — Amid speculation that Lionel Messi may join Inter Miami CF, South Florida soccer fans are wondering how they will get a chance to see the legendary player on screen or in person.
According to rumors, Messi is expected to join Inter Miami in August, which would mean his first game would be on Aug. 20 against Charlotte FC at DRV PNK Stadium in Fort Lauderdale. Messi's current contract with Paris Saint-Germaine is set to expire on June 30, according to Goal.com. Fresh off winning the FIFA World Cup with Argentina in December, Miami may give Messi his wish to play in Major League Soccer.
So how can fans get the chance to watch him play if he comes to America? Well, it's a little complicated.
Last year, MLS and Apple announced a 10-year, $2.5-billion broadcasting agreement for the rights to show every MLS match with the launch of Season Pass on Apple TV+. So to watch most of the 2023 season and future seasons, fans would have to be Apple TV+ subscribers or have the Apple TV app on their devices to watch Miami games. This means that fans wouldn't be able to watch matches on traditional cable networks like ESPN or Univision like in years past.
With that being said, The Athletic reported on Tuesday that MLS came up with a pitch to sign Messi, which included Apple offering a share of revenue generated by new subscribers to Season Pass and added help from Adidas' offering of a profit-sharing agreement.
Fortunately, there are a few alternative ways to watch Inter Miami CF on your TV or phone. Some FOX Sports networks like FOX or FOX Sports 1 (FS1) will still carry select games, with Fox Deportes airing the Spanish simulcasts. However, diehard fans would still need to have Apple TV to watch most games.
Fans can purchase MLS Season Pass for $14.99 per month or $99 per season, but Apple TV+ subscribers can get discounted subscriptions at $12.99 per month or $79 per season.
But what if you prefer to watch games in the real world? How can South Floridians and other Miami fans get their tickets? There are a number of ways to do so.
Fans can score tickets by either going directly to Inter Miami CF's website and selecting whether they want single-game tickets, season tickets or special ticket packages.
Fans can also go to websites like Ticketmaster or SeatGeek and search for Miami games to get tickets. Additionally, tickets can be easily viewed online at other marketplaces like VividSeats, where fans can simply view the date of their desired match and click "find your seats" to find where they want to sit.
Miami's next home game is Saturday, June 10, where they will play the New England Revolution at Gillette Stadium at 7:30 p.m. Eastern Time.
