By Isabella Diez, Co-President
One of the most expensive and innovative partnerships in the sports industry has just been confirmed and is expected to elevate both the sports and entertainment spaces.
FC Barcelona and Spotify have secured a strategic long-term partnership that will make the music streaming giant be the Main Partner of the Club and Official Audio Streaming Partner beginning in the 2022/2023 season. Spotify’s name will be displayed on the jerseys of both the women’s and men’s game shirts and training kits. In addition, Spotify will become the title partner of the stadium which will be renamed Spotify Camp Nou. This will be the stadium’s first rename in history. Aiding in the redevelopment of the stadium, this four-year partnership is estimated to be worth 280 Million Euros (390 Million CAD).
The final and official requirement of this partnership will take place on April 3rd, 2022 in which the agreement will be approved and signed by the Board of Directors of FC Barcelona and will be subjected to the Extraordinary Delegate Members Assembly.
This partnership will aim to increase exposure and build a community for artists to connect with FC Barcelona fans across the world. A first of its kind, this collaboration will allow for advancements to be made for both athletes and artists. Creating a space for artists will not only increase their exposure but create new opportunities for them to share their work on a global scale.
President of FC Barcelona made a statement expressing his excitement for the project, “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.”
Partner and Chief Freemium Business Officer of Spotify, Alex Norström shares his equal enthusiasm, “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.”
Although the ability to create never before seen spaces for athletes, artists and fans, this partnership has experienced some controversy. With a long history of debt, Barcelona has made some questionable financial decisions. One such issue is the recent signing of Ferran Torres from Manchester City this past January for 55 Million Euros (76 Million CAD) equivalent in cost to the previous sponsor Rakuten, a Japanese online retailing company. Barcelona had also attempted to enter the NFT market by signing a deal with Ownix but this was canceled over ethical concerns. The hope is that this new sponsorship will ease some of the financial stress Barcelona has been facing.
One of the most expensive deals in the world, Spotify and FC Barcelona is expected to tie together both the sport and music industry, a remarkable first of its kind.
Photo by: FC Barcelona
FINANCIAL MARAUDER 