One of the world’s most famous sports stars is in the race to start his own production company.
Lionel Messi, the soccer player who, like Beckham, made the jump to MLS late in his career and plays for Inter Miami, has set up a film and TV banner titled “525 Rosario,” named after the address of his Argentine hometown, which will be rolled out in Miami and Los Angeles.
The sign was formed as a joint venture between the Messi family and Smuggler Entertainment, the production company behind the Apple TV+ series “Messi’s World Cup: The Rise of a Legend” and “Messi Meets America.” 525 Rosario’s CEO will be Tim Pastore, who runs Smuggler and produced Messi’s World Cup, and is credited as a producer on films such as “Free Solo” and the Jane Goodall documentary “Jane.”
525 Rosario plans to focus on editorial content, likely with an emphasis on unscripted documentaries, family-friendly programming and commercial branded storytelling in partnership with advertisers. The new venture will be repped by WME.
“Entertainment has always been my passion, both on the pitch and in other areas. The opportunity to pursue the projects I have created with Smuggler Entertainment and to expand it further to create content and experiences on a global scale through this new venture makes me really motivated,” Messi said.
With the launch of 525 Rosario, Messi joins global stars such as LeBron James (The SpringHill Co., established in 2008), Stephen Curry (Unanimous Media, established in 2018), Peyton Manning (Omaha Productions, established in 2020), Tom Brady (199 Productions, established in 2020), Serena Williams (Nine Two Six Productions, established in 2023) and Naomi Osaka (Hana Kuma, established in 2022) in creating and selling content directly to clients as they increasingly turn to athletes.
The increased production budget means a lot to the athlete-star, who was ranked the third-highest-paid sportsperson in the world with $135 million in on- and off-the-field earnings last year, according to Forbes’ 2024 tally.
“This new venture aims to highlight and build on everything Leo Messi represents, not only through premium content at scale and global scale, but also through community outreach and family-focused initiatives,” Pastore said. “We are extremely grateful to Leo and his family for the opportunity to collaborate and create a media experience for local and global audiences, while pushing the boundaries of traditional genres.”
The Messi family statement added: “We are excited about this venture, with the goal to inspire and connect with people all over the world in an entirely new way. We want to continue to drive progress in entertainment with new initiatives and productions on a global scale through innovative storytelling, programming and experiences.”
