FC Barcelona, the renowned Spanish football club, is making bold strides in its digital expansion strategy with the integration of blockchain and non-fungible tokens (NFTs). The club aims to tap into the world of Web3, metaverse technologies, and other innovative digital ventures to accelerate its growth.
To fuel its digital vision, FC Barcelona has announced new strategic partnerships and a merger agreement. Barça Vision, the club’s initiative to consolidate all digital content under the Web3 and blockchain umbrella, has received significant investments from LIBERO football finance AG and private investors advised by NIPA Capital B.V. These new partners have acquired a combined 29.5% ownership stake in Barça Vision for €120 million.
LIBERO football finance AG, a German-based company specializing in providing financial advisory services to football clubs, brings its expertise to help FC Barcelona explore business opportunities in the digital sports and entertainment realm. NIPA Capital B.V., a Dutch investment company, aims to accelerate growth and provide ongoing guidance to the club.
These strategic partnerships allow FC Barcelona to strengthen Barça Vision, leveraging the knowledge and experience of its new partners. Meanwhile, Socios.com and Orpheus Media, who retain their minority stakes, will continue to play a crucial role in the club’s Web3 strategy, collaborating on initiatives such as the BAR Fan Token.
In addition to the partnerships, FC Barcelona has entered into a Business Combination Agreement with Mountain & Co. I Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company focused on European digital media and technology sectors. This agreement sets the stage for the merger of the club’s digital initiative, Barça Vision, and its audiovisual content units under the brand Barça Media.
Through this merger, FC Barcelona aims to enhance Barça Media’s reach and accessibility by securing additional financing from the US capital markets. The move positions the club to accelerate its digital and audiovisual initiatives, expand its global audience, and potentially generate substantial income. The projected pro-forma enterprise value after the merger is approximately USD 1 billion (€910 million).
FC Barcelona’s President, Joan Laporta, expressed his enthusiasm for these developments, highlighting how the club’s digital ecosystem has transformed its assets into a creative hub that elevates the brand to unprecedented levels worldwide. Laporta emphasized the success of the digital content strategy, which has allowed the club to forge new connections with fans globally while generating additional revenue streams.
Barça Vision serves as a platform for integrating Web3 initiatives, NFTs, and metaverses, and is an integral part of FC Barcelona’s strategy for constructing its new stadium, Espai Barça Digital. The club has already taken significant steps in this direction, such as launching its official FC Barcelona channel on Discord and introducing a collection of 3,000 Barça NFTs in collaboration with Plastiks, with a focus on promoting sustainability projects globally.
Overall, FC Barcelona’s recent developments mark a significant stride in its digital transformation, solidifying its position as a pioneer in leveraging cutting-edge technologies to engage fans and unlock new revenue streams. The strategic partnerships and merger agreement enable the club to strengthen its digital ventures and explore exciting opportunities in the digital sports and entertainment realm. With its ongoing digital transformation, FC Barcelona aims to continue its growth in an era where the demand for digital sports content is rapidly expanding.
