Spanish giants, FC Barcelona has announced a landmark deal with Spotify, for the music streaming platform to become the main partner of the club and the official audio streaming partner.
The world’s most popular audio streaming subscription service, Spotify will be on the front of both Men’s and Women’s team shirts beginning in the 2022/23 season and for the next four seasons. Spotify will also sponsor the training shirts beginning in the 2022/23 season for the next three seasons, according to the club statement.
The notable part of the partnership is that it also includes Camp Nou’s naming rights. For the first time in the club’s history, the club’s stadium name will be rebranded as “Spotify Camp Nou”. The stadium which is due to undergo a £1.3billion redevelopment as approved by Barcelona’s members in December will take its new name from July for an undisclosed long-term period.
- The deal sees Spotify, replace Japanese e-commerce giant, Rakuten as the club’s sponsor, the partnership is reportedly worth £47million per season.
- The partnership reached by Barça and Spotify is a first-of-its-kind for the club in bringing the worlds of Music and Football together and is also likely to become one of the biggest deals in the history of sports.
- The deal will give a global stage to players and artists at the Spotify Camp Nou Stadium, and building new opportunities to connect artists and players with fans around the world.’
What they are saying
Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona said, “We are very proud to announce a pioneering alliance like this with a world-renowned organization like Spotify. This partnership will allow us to continue to bring the Club closer to its fans and make them feel, even more, part of the Barça family through unique experiences, combining two activities such as entertainment and football, making it possible for us to connect with new audiences around the world.
“It is also a union with which we continue to take steps forward in this new era that we have started, and which demonstrates, once again, the innovative character and the constant search of excellence that distinguish Barça and have made it a unique club in the world.”
Alex Norström, Chief Freemium Business Officer, Spotify commented on the partnership saying, “We could not be more thrilled to be partnering with FC Barcelona to bring the worlds of Music and Football together. From July, our collaboration will offer a global stage to Artists, Players and Fans at the newly-branded Spotify Camp Nou. We have always used our marketing investment to amplify Artists and this partnership will take this approach to a new scale. We’re excited to create new opportunities to connect with FC Barcelona’s worldwide fanbase.
“Spotify’s mission is to unlock the potential of human creativity, supporting artists to make a living off their art and connecting with fans. We believe this partnership creates many opportunities to deliver on this mission in unique, imaginative, and impactful ways.”
What you should know
- The landmark partnership is set to revive the fortunes of the Spanish giants after they almost ran into bankruptcy which led to Lionel Messi’s leaving the club on a free.
- The deal is a boost to the Catalans following a warning by Laliga that they must reduce their costs and increase their income to be able to make a significant investment in the squad this summer.
- Following, the January transfer window, LaLiga have set the Spanish club’s spending limit at -€144million. Barcelona is the only club in Spain’s first and second divisions to receive a negative cap.
