VALENCIA, SPAIN - MAY 11: Lionel Messi of FC Barcelona celebrates goal 0-1 during the La Liga Santander match between Levante v FC Barcelona at the Estadi Ciutat de Valencia on May 11, 2021 in Valencia Spain (Photo by David S. Bustamante/Soccrates/Getty Images)
On Sunday, Lionel Messi made his widely anticipated debut with Paris St-Germain, subbing into the match for Neymar rocking number 30 on his back at the 66th minute. PSG defeated Reims 2-0, both goals scored by Kilian Mbappe, who is rumored to soon sign with Real Madrid.
Messi’s debut was the most-watched French match ever in Spain, averaging over two million viewers. The game was broadcast in Spain on Telecinco, a free-to-air television channel operated by Mediaset España. The match was also streamed live on the Twitch channel of a Spanish streamer and esports commentator named Ibai Llanos, drawing an average broadcast of over 300,000 people.
Former Barca defender Gerard Pique bought the rights to the French league after Messi signed with PSG. His company, Kosmos, has reportedly planned to sublicense the rights for the rest of the season, as Telecinco and Llanos only secured the rights to Messi’s debut.
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