Spotify sponsors FC Barcelona to dub club’s jerseys and stadium

FC Barcelona, a La Liga giant, and Spotify, a Swedish audio streaming and media services provider, have announced a unique multi-year partnership.

Starting in the 2022/23 season, Spotify’s emblem will appear on the shirts of both the men’s and women’s teams for the next four seasons as part of a marketing agreement.

Rakuten has sponsored the men’s team since 2017, while Stanley Black & Decker has sponsored the women’s team since 2018. According to Barca’s website, its key sponsors include Nike, Japanese retail store Rakuten, and Turkish firm Beko.

Spotify and FC Barcelona will work to turn the legendary shirt into a showcase for musicians from all around the world. The old Camp Nou will be renamed Spotify Camp Nou, and Spotify will be the stadium’s Title Partner.

It will be the first time a sponsor’s name will be shown on the stadium, marking a watershed moment for a team that refused to have a jersey sponsor until 2006.

The agreement must still be approved by FC Barcelona’s Extraordinary Delegate Members Assembly in a vote scheduled for April 3rd. However, because FC Barcelona is heavily in debt and attempted to sell an interest in its media production division last year, it is likely to pass.

According to reports, the deal is for $310 million. If the club had a higher percentage of “registered” fans — people who provided the club access to names, emails, and other personal information — it could have been worth more, according to Spanish publication SPORT.

According to the report, only about 1% of the club’s 350 million fans are registered.

Spotify has never collaborated on a project of this magnitude before, but it recognised that the fun is in approaching large-scale initiatives.

The Swedish firm has always utilised its marketing as a platform for musicians, so it’s exciting to be introducing yet another massive stage, a stadium, to enable artists communicate with fans all across the world.

Barcelona’s games have a massive global audience each season, and Spotify is reported to be excited to collaborate with them to bring musicians to this audience.

Joan Laporta, President of FC Barcelona, has issued a statement

“We are very proud to announce such a pioneering alliance with a world-renowned company like Spotify,” said Barca president,

“This cooperation will allow us to continue to bring the Club closer to its supporters and make them feel even more like a part of the Barca family by merging two activities into one unique experience.” 

“It is also a union with which we will continue to advance in this new age that we have begun, demonstrating once again the inventive character and tireless pursuit of greatness that distinguish Barça and have made it a world-class club.”

Alex Norström’s comments on the agreement

Increasing the number of fans engaging with our platform means more options for creators to make a living from their work, and FC Barcelona’s vast worldwide fan base will aid in this expansion.

We’ll also be developing more dynamic and interesting experiences for fans—both music and Barcelona fans—to connect with the artists they love.

Spotify’s chief freemium business officer, Alex Norström, said the firm will use its sponsorship to “amplify the work of musicians” at the renowned Catalan stadium, bringing “the worlds of music and football together, giving a global stage to players and artists.”

FC Barcelona boasts millions of young followers all over the world—in fact, the majority of Barca fans are under the age of 30, making them a crucial demographic for Spotify.

These followers also live in India, Latin America, and Indonesia, which are among Spotify’s fastest-growing areas.

Published By: Manan Khurana

Edited By: Khushi Thakur