Messi recently created a new company in the United States to participate in the entertainment field.
Lionel Messi is spending the last days of his football career quite quietly in the United States. However, he chose the MLS not only because it is easy, the Argentine superstar also aspires to become a successful businessman in the entertainment industry.
Messi takes his first steps in the entertainment business
The Hollywood Reporter reported that Messi signed a cooperation agreement with the SMUGGLER Entertainment group to create the Rosario-based company 525, specialized in producing entertainment content on a global scale. The company’s goal is to produce high-end television programs with family-oriented content, as well as organize promotional events for famous brands and athletes.
Messi said: “The entertainment field has always been my passion. The opportunity in this industry is what motivated us to move forward with the project with SMUGGLER Entertainment. We want to take the project to an international level, connecting and inspiring people around the world in a completely new way.”
The Messi family will oversee the operations of 525 Rosario alongside Tim Pastore, CEO of SMUGGLER Entertainment. Mr. Pastore collaborated with Messi to produce two documentaries titled “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” and “Messi Meets America.”
Since negotiating with Inter Miami, Messi has been eyeing the entertainment business. Messi’s contract with David Beckham’s team not only has salary and bonus conditions, Messi also has image rights deals with Apple, Adidas and many other companies, and takes a percentage of the revenue from the MLS Season Pass online service Apple TV+.
Apple TV+ is the platform that broadcasts the two documentaries by Pastore mentioned above about Messi. Therefore, public opinion predicts that in the near future Messi will be a powerful figure on multimedia entertainment platforms, such as Apple TV+, even if only in its early stages.