📝 Pop Quiz: What kind of streaming content are consumers craving the most right now?
D. Broadcast Series/Syndicated Content
Before Ted Lasso was the most beloved character to come out of an Apple TV+ original series, he was a promo – for NBC.
An American football coach who earnestly takes on a new team across the pond where “football” actually means soccer? It’s an admittedly clever (and hilarious) way for NBC to “introduce” soccer to American audiences after it gained rights to Premier League sports coverage in 2013.
Portrayed by lovable funnyman Jason Sudeikis, Lasso deserved his own show – and seven years later, Apple (AAPL) would be the one to make it happen.
As it turns out, Apple might’ve been playing its own long game with Lasso – luring U.S. audiences into an Americanized soccer story to prime consumers for its latest savvy business move…
See, earlier this year, Apple teamed up with Major League Soccer (MLS) to launch MLS Season Pass, where fans can access the most expansive lineup of American soccer coverage available anywhere.
It was a 10-year deal worth $2.5 billion.
The only hiccup: Soccer (or “football” depending on where you are) is the most popular sport in the world… everywhere except America.
But that could be changing, now that the world’s biggest superstar athlete is bringing his talents to the American soccer pitch.
If you haven’t heard by now, Lionel Messi – former captain of the Argentine national team and one of the greatest players of all time – inked a massive deal with MLS’s Inter Miami club earlier this month… with Apple’s help.
The company heard Messi was on the table, saw its “in” to pump up interest in its new MLS Season Pass, and threw in an equity deal that made the offer too sweet to pass up.
Messi may not be so well-known with American audiences yet. All you need to know is that with 476 million Instagram followers, this guy’s social media reach tops LeBron James’s nearly three times over.
That means Apple now has the keys to one of the most influential people in the world.
Until now, Apple TV+ has lagged behind streaming peers in subscribership. A 2022 survey put it at the bottom of the pack, with only 19% of U.S. households having subscriptions compared to Netflix’s (NFLX) 78%.
And according to LikeFolio consumer trend data, Messi could be just the ace Apple needs…
📝 Pop Quiz Answer: What kind of streaming content are consumers craving the most right now?
A. Movies
B. Local News
C. Original Series
D. Broadcast Series/Syndicated Content
E. Live Sports ✔️
Consumers sure love their sports.
A 2022 Nielsen ratings report found that 94 of last year’s top 100 most-watched telecasts were sports programs.
And LikeFolio data tells a similar tale: consumer mentions of streaming live sports are up by an impressive 72% year-over-year and 21% quarter-over-quarter.
For Apple, the MLS deal has yet to make an impact on viewership – at least according to the latest social media insights.
Apple TV+ viewership mentions are trending way down, losing 49% year-over-year.
To be fair, that’s the case for most of the big names in streaming; Netflix viewership mentions are down by 22%, Hulu’s have fallen by 27%, and Disney+ has tanked 72%, according to our data.
And the ink is still wet on the Messi contract – it’s been less than a month since the news broke.
But that hasn’t stopped folks from expressing their excitement on social media…
For die-hard Messi fans and the soccer-curious, Apple TV+ will be their only avenue for tuning in to watch the star play.
We’ll be watching to see how this long game plays out from here.
But Apple isn’t the only company we’re tracking in the live sports arena.
In the crowded streaming wars, a smaller player has been expanding its live sports coverage for years.
Better yet, it made a savvy investment in artificial intelligence that will amplify the sports-watching experience.
While just about every other streamer is seeing a decline in viewership mentions, this company is seeing 35% year-over-year growth.
I’ll tell you all about it right here.
Until next time,
Andy Swan
Founder, LikeFolio