Inter Miami will take on Atlanta United in an MLS Playoff match at Chase Stadium in Fort Lauderdale, Florida on Friday, October 25, 2024 (10/25/24).

HOW TO WATCH: Fans can watch on Apple TV+via an MLS Season Pass subscription.

Here’s what you need to know:

What: MLS game

WHO: Inter Miami vs. TBD

When: Friday October 25, 2024

Time: 8:30 PM ET

Where: Chase Stadium

TV: N/A

Live stream: AppleTV+

Here’s a recent AP story about Messi:

Boosted by the Messi effect, Major League Soccer achieved record attendance and increased sponsorship revenue this season.

At the end of the regular season, MLS on Tuesday reported a 5% increase in attendance from last year, with a league-wide total of 11.45 million. That is an increase of 14% compared to 2022.

Two games exceeded 70,000 fans and five games exceeded 50,000. During a match at Arrowhead Stadium in April, 72,610 spectators attended to see Lionel Messi and Inter Miami play Sporting Kansas City.

The average was a league record 23,234 per game. Ten teams set or exceeded attendance records and there were a record 213 sellouts. Even if Messi’s road games were excluded, the average attendance figures would still be an MLS best.

MLS expects nearly 12 million fans to attend this season’s games during the playoffs, which begin this week.

There is no doubt that the superstar of the competition is Messi, the clear frontrunner for the competition’s MVP award this season. The eight-time Ballon d’Or winner has scored twenty goals and ten assists in just nineteen games this season. Inter Miami won the Supporters Shield as it had the best record in the regular season with 74 points, one more than New England when it set the record in 2021.

“He certainly helped us get in front of a global audience, and he certainly captured the interest of sports fans in our country,” said Chris McGowan, head of the club performance and optimization group at MLS. “Our clubs have done an incredible job of taking advantage of this and understanding that players don’t play forever. We are playing the best ever in our league, so we have to be alert to take advantage of that.”

But while Messi is certainly a big part of the league’s growth following his arrival from Inter Miami last year, McGowan also cited other factors, including the fan experience in the league’s stadiums, spurred on by enthusiastic supporter groups.

“People just see a great environment now when they go to our games around the league,” McGowan said. “The audience is energetic. Lots of great things are happening in the room. It’s just a good time on a Saturday night and people really notice that.”

The competition success this season is not only at box office level.

MLS also reported Tuesday that MLS and the league’s marketing arm, Soccer United Marketing, have seen a 13% increase in sponsorship revenue this year, which is the same increase at the individual club level. This year, eighteen new sponsors have joined the MLS.

The competition is also expanding its reach on social media, with a 26% increase in followers on TikTok, a 21% increase on YouTube and a 10% increase on Instagram.

The postseason begins Tuesday evening with a wild-card game between Atlanta United and Montreal. The winner of that match will play against Messi and Miami in the first round.

The Portland Timbers host Vancouver in the other wild-card game on Wednesday.