Miami, FL

Messi or Not, MLS Teams Make Big Plans for Inter Miami

Published

2 years ago

April 10, 2024

Messi or Not, MLS Teams Make Big Plans for Inter Miami

Whatever Lionel Messi touches turns into gold. The Argentine soccer star joined MLS’ Inter Miami CF last July and since then, the club has thrived on and off the field.

Inter Miami won the 2023 Leagues Cup in a shootout win over Nashville FC with Messi coming in as a sub. The team’s valuation has skyrocketed to over a billion dollars, a 74% increase over the last year, according to Sportico’s MLS valuations. Ticket prices at the newly renamed Chase Stadium doubled (if not tripled) in price. Ares Management Corp. (NYSE: ARES) closed on a $75 million preferred equity stake investment in the franchise two weeks after Messi debuted. The club sold out of 2024 season-ticket packages last November, and 3,550 seats were added to Chase Stadium to match the demand.

Messi also delivered revenue boosts for opposing teams whenever the team went on the road, and much of that success has continued into this season, even though whether Messi will play for Inter Miami on any given day remains unpredictable. He played three matches this season before getting injured against Nashville SC in the CONCACAF Champions Cup round of 16 on March 13. Additionally, the 36-year-old receives rest days and has international playing obligations.

But that doesn’t seem to slow opposing clubs from going all out on their strategy to attract fans to watch soccer’s GOAT.

On March 27 New England Revolution announced it sold over 60,000 tickets for its match on April 27 against Inter Miami, potentially setting a single-game attendance record for a home game at Gillette Stadium, also home to the NFL’s New England Patriots, in Foxborough, Mass.

The Revs also approached the Inter Miami game as an opportunity to convert new long-term fans. The club priced this game reasonably, with no increase for season-ticket holders, while offering sizable discounts and early access to fans willing to purchase 4- and 6-game packs.

This strategy has proven successful. By Feb. 13, almost two months before the match against Miami, 30,000 tickets were sold to existing fans or those who have tickets to at least four games this season. In 2023, their single-season attendance record was 23,940 fans.

“One of the big opportunities for having Messi in MLS is overall brand awareness and getting people into the game,” Dave Wakeman of Wakeman Consulting Group said in a video call. “But the real test of the staying power and the potential opportunity will be some of these markets he went to last year.”

Last season, D.C. United saw fans purchasing tickets for the July 8 match against Inter Miami when the news that Messi might join the team started circulating.

“We saw single-game ticket sales pick up three to four weeks before the game that we don’t typically see. Usually, we see 60% of our sales come in the final two weeks, but this was just off-trend,” James Arnold, D.C. United’s SVP of ticket sales and service, said in a video call.

At that point, the club made some minor adjustments to dynamically price up to capitalize on the moment. “We tried to match the pricing with the rate that the market is receiving it,” Arnold said.

While D.C. United did not end up hosting the Argentine last summer, it was among the first teams to host Inter Miami in 2024. The club put the ticket sales strategy in place even before the 2024 schedule was out, knowing it would likely play Inter Miami during a period unaffected by international windows. This time, the club’s strategy was to build long-term sustainable growth.

“Our data shows on the back end that if we’re able to get people to come to a match or two matches in a year, they’re 60% more likely to come back,” Arnold said. “Once we knew we would have Messi, we split our remaining inventory into four different types of ticket products that we would move, so we attached it to additional games, either before or after the Inter Miami game.”

After Messi had injured himself during the CONCACAF Champions Cup, Inter Miami coach Tata Martino rested him against D.C. United. Fans did not seem to care.

“The Audi Field was full, and I’d say 50% [of fans were wearing] pink Messi No. 10 jerseys, even though it was announced the Argentine did not travel to D.C. with the team,” said Wakeman, who attended the match.

New York Red Bull had a similar experience to D.C. United. Last year, the club maximized the revenue from their August matchup against Inter Miami. In an interview with Sportico at that time, the team’s president and general manager, Marc de Grandpré, said the club held back ticket inventory all year, knowing Messi visiting New York was a possibility, and restructured their offerings once the news was official. The ticket gate for Inter Miami was two to three times larger than for a regular game. A record crowd of 26,276 arrived in the Red Bull Arena for the August 26 match.

This year, Red Bull played Inter Miami earlier in the season during an international break, meaning Messi did not travel with the team. But despite his absence and the torrential rain, Red Bull Arena was packed with fans. The club did not share the ticket gate for the match, but 25,219 fans were there to celebrate Red Bull’s 4-0 win.

Leaguewide, the 2024 season is off to a good start: Ticket sales are up 15%, and season ticket revenue is up 25% compared to 2023, MLS said. According to the ticketing platform StubHub, preseason ticket sales have increased sevenfold compared to last season, with sales for every team up from last season.

“The biggest challenge we have in the league as a whole is the attribution to Messi,” Arnold said. “Like what is the actual Messi effect?”

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Miami, FL

Miami takes on Brooklyn, seeks to end 5-game skid

Published

5 hours ago

December 17, 2025

Press Room

Miami takes on Brooklyn, seeks to end 5-game skid

Miami Heat (14-12, ninth in the Eastern Conference) vs. Brooklyn Nets (7-18, 13th in the Eastern Conference)

New York; Thursday, 7:30 p.m. EST

BETMGM SPORTSBOOK LINE: Heat -6.5; over/under is 227.5

BOTTOM LINE: Miami aims to break its five-game skid with a win over Brooklyn.

The Nets have gone 6-13 against Eastern Conference teams. Brooklyn is ninth in the Eastern Conference with 25.7 assists per game led by Nic Claxton averaging 4.4.

The Heat are 8-7 against Eastern Conference opponents. Miami is third in the league scoring 56.2 points per game in the paint led by Jaime Jaquez Jr. averaging 10.9.

The Nets score 110.2 points per game, 7.5 fewer points than the 117.7 the Heat allow. The Heat average 120.7 points per game, 4.8 more than the 115.9 the Nets give up.

TOP PERFORMERS: Michael Porter Jr. is scoring 25.6 points per game with 7.3 rebounds and 3.2 assists for the Nets. Egor Demin is averaging 17.0 points and 3.0 rebounds while shooting 75.0% over the last 10 games.

Kel’el Ware is averaging 11.1 points and 10.2 rebounds for the Heat. Bam Adebayo is averaging 20.0 points over the last 10 games.

LAST 10 GAMES: Nets: 4-6, averaging 110.7 points, 41.6 rebounds, 26.6 assists, 7.5 steals and 5.1 blocks per game while shooting 45.8% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 109.4 points per game.

Heat: 4-6, averaging 114.2 points, 45.6 rebounds, 26.7 assists, 8.3 steals and 5.9 blocks per game while shooting 46.7% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 115.7 points.

INJURIES: Nets: Haywood Highsmith: out (knee), Ben Saraf: day to day (illness), Cam Thomas: out (hamstring).

Heat: Nikola Jovic: day to day (arm), Tyler Herro: day to day (toe), Pelle Larsson: out (ankle).

___

The Associated Press created this story using technology provided by Data Skrive and data from Sportradar.

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Miami, FL

An immersive ‘Survivor’ experience and fan café will open in Miami in January

Published

17 hours ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

An immersive ‘Survivor’ experience and fan café will open in Miami in January

Miami is about to get voted onto the island.

This January, Jungle Island will transform into a full-on tribute to one of TV’s longest-running juggernauts with the arrival of the Survivor Ultimate Fan Cafe, a limited-time immersive experience celebrating the show’s 50th season.

RECOMMENDED: The best immersive experiences in the U.S. to visit right now

Opening on January 29, 2026, the café is a collaboration between Bucket Listers and CBS, timed to build buzz ahead of the milestone anniversary season, which premieres on February 25. The concept goes way beyond themed cocktails and logo merch, though. This is designed as a hands-on playground for fans who’ve spent decades yelling strategy advice at their TVs.

Photograph: Courtesy of Bucket Listers

“This Ultimate Fan Cafe is more than an event; it’s an immersive tribute to the fan community that has kept CBS’ Survivor thriving for 50 seasons,” said Mike Benson, president and chief marketing officer, Paramount Television, in an official statement. “From iconic photo moments to themed food and real Survivor-style challenges, we’re inviting fans to live the adventure like never before.”

Inside the custom-built space at Jungle Island, guests will be able to test their skills with a rotating lineup of physical and mental challenges inspired by the show, all adapted for safe, indoor play. You won’t be dangling over the ocean or shivering by a fire to stay warm, but you will get a taste of the competitive spirit that’s defined Survivor since its debut in 2000.

Between challenges, castaways will refuel with a Polynesian-fusion menu created by chef Becky Brown, a MasterChef finalist and Chopped champion. The themed offerings include dishes like sole Survivor ceviche, campfire carnitas tacos, new era laksa noodles and a double elimination burger. There will be desserts, kid-friendly options and plenty of comfort food for those who prefer spectating to scheming.

The drink menu will keep the island vibes flowing with themed cocktails and mocktails, plus beer and wine. Also expect shareable pitchers of jungle juice or hidden immunity punch, which feels very on-brand for plotting alliances.

Photo ops will be baked into every corner of the experience, from a tribal council-style fire pit to a voting confessional booth and a winner’s wall designed for brag-worthy pics. Exclusive Survivor merchandise will also be available for purchase.

Tickets include a food and beverage credit and cover a 90-minute reservation. A waitlist is now open through Bucket Listers, with ticket sales launching exclusively on the platform. For more information, click here.

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Miami, FL

Time for Miami to bench Tua Tagovailoa? ‘Very rash and shortsighted’

Published

1 day ago

December 16, 2025

Press Room

Time for Miami to bench Tua Tagovailoa? ‘Very rash and shortsighted’

Miami Dolphins quarterback Tua Tagovailoa’s Monday night stats look as though they could have come from a victory. The former Alabama All-American completed 22-of-28 passes for 253 yards with two touchdowns and one interception for a passing-efficiency rating of 113.2.

But they didn’t come from a win. They didn’t even come from a game that the Dolphins looked ready to win.

Miami lost to the Pittsburgh Steelers 28-15 on Monday night, ending the Dolphins’ four-game winning streak and dropping them from among the AFC’s playoff contenders with three games remaining on their regular-season schedule.

“Supremely disappointed in the outcome,” Miami coach Mike McDaniel said, “and I think it does a disservice to, really, the objective, the work that we were doing on this opponent. And flat out, their team was better than our team.”

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Miami trailed 7-3 before a disastrous third quarter. Pittsburgh scored a touchdown on each of its first three second-half possessions while the Dolphins’ third-quarter possessions were both three-and-outs. On the six plays, Miami netted minus-20 yards, with Tagovailoa sacked on third down on both series.

Tagovailoa dropped back on seven third downs in the game. He completed two passes for 41 yards, threw one incompletion, got sacked three times and scrambled for a 1-yard gain.

With the Dolphins’ season set to end on Jan. 4 now, McDaniel was asked if he would consider using Zach Wilson and Quinn Ewers at quarterback now.

“I think it would be very rash and shortsighted if I even tried to tackle that option,” McDaniel said. “I think I have to look at the tape, and I’ll move on from there. But, realistically, I’m just supremely disappointed that we couldn’t come out with a win here. We had high expectations, and they fell short.”

After the Dolphins fell behind 28-3, Tagovailoa completed 16-of-18 passes for 194 yards with two touchdowns and no interceptions. He failed to connect on two 2-point conversion throws.

Miami had won four games in a row by averaging 192.25 rushing yards per game and compiling more yards on the ground than through the air in each contest. Against Pittsburgh, the Dolphins netted 63 yards on 16 rushing attempts.

“There were just some things offensively that we were doing that we were messing ourselves up, really,” Tagovailoa said. “Just basically every aspect from my communication to the guys with them getting in the huddle, calling the plays, getting out, guys knowing where to go with their alignments, some of that.”

In its next game, Miami plays the Cincinnati Bengals at noon CST Sunday at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami Gardens, Florida.

“At the end of the day, it’s about pride that you have for yourself,” Tagovailoa said about playing out the string, “your last name on your back, who you are as a husband, who you are as a father, as a son, as a teammate, all of that. So we’ll see come on Wednesday. …

“You got to take yourself back to whatever it was — that 12-year-old kid. You take yourself back to that, and you tell yourself like, ‘Dude, what if you were playing in the NFL?’ You’d be ecstatic. That would have been your dream. You get to live it. But with that being said, you also got to come out with a sense of urgency of: Do you take pride in what you do when things are going good and when things are going bad? Because it falls into every asset of what you do in your life. So that was sort of my message to the guys after the game.”

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