Barcelona to team up with Spotify for next 12 seasons in club's biggest agreement

Club's iconic stadium to be renamed Spotify Camp Nou

Barcelona supporters wearing Lionel Messi shirts watch the game from the stands during the Liga match between Barcelona and Rayo Vallecano at Camp Nou on March 8, 2015 in Barcelona, Spain. Getty Images

Photographers gather around the halfway line as Johan Cruyff waves farewell to the fans before his final game for Barcelona against former club Ajax on 28th May 1978 at the Camp Nou football stadium in Barcelona, Spain. Getty Images

Diego Armando Maradona, Allan Simonsen and Bernd Schuster, at the presentation of the Barcelona squad for the 1982-1983 season, held at the Camp Nou, Barcelona, Spain, on July 28, 1982. Getty Images

Thousands of balloons are released at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, at the start of the Fifa World Cup, 14th June 1982. Getty Images

Steve Bruce leads Manchester United onto the pitch before the European Cup match against Barcelona at the Camp Nou Stadium in Barcelona, Spain, 1994. Barcelona won the match 4-0. Getty Images

Bobby Robson is presented as the Barcelona manager in 1996 at the Camp Nou Stadium. Getty Images

Manchester United fans celebrate victory in the Champions League final against Bayern Munich in the Camp Nou Stadium in 1999. Getty Images

Ronaldinho waves to the fans inside Camp Nou during his unveiling as a Barcelona player on July 21, 2003. Getty Images

Barcelona coach Frank Rijkaard speaks with World Selection Team's coach Johan Cruyff before a friendly football match at the Camp Nou stadium in Barcelona, 30 November 2004. AFP

Barcelona supporters display a huge banner inside Camp Nou to thank Xavi Hernandez for his career. EPA

Fans pay homage inside Camp Nou to Johan Cruyff, prior to the match between Barcelona and Real Madrid. EPA

Catalan Pro-Independence flags are waved inside the Camp Nou as Lionel Messi plays in a match between Barcelona and Eibar on September 19, 2017. Getty Images

Fans pay tribute to midfielder Andres Iniesta during his last game for Barcelona, prior the Liga match between Barcelona and Real Sociedad at Camp Nou stadium in Madrid, Spain, 20 May 2018. EPA

Barcelona fans show their support prior to the Liga match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou on May 6, 2018. Getty Images

General view of the Camp Nou stadium before the Spanish LaLiga soccer match between FC Barcelona and Atletico Madrid, in Barcelona, Spain, 06 April 2019. EPA

A general view of the tifo display before the UEFA Champions League Semi Final first leg match between Barcelona and Liverpool at the Nou Camp on May 01, 2019 in Barcelona, Spain. Getty Images

View of the facade of Camp Nou stadium picturing a collage of Barcelona players Lionel Messi, Gerard Pique, Frenkie De Jong, Marc-Andre Ter Stegen and Antoine Griezmann, made with photos shared by fans from worldwide. EPA

A general view outside the Camp Nou stadium prior to the Liga match between Barcelona and Valencia on December 19, 2020. Getty Images

General view of the action during the match between Barcelona and Real Madrid at Camp Nou on October 24, 2021. Getty Images

A fan waves a Barcelona flag as he arrives at the Camp Nou stadium prior to the Champions League match between Barcelona and Dinamo Kiev on October 20, 2021. Getty Images

Barcelona on Sunday ratified a long-term deal with streaming platform Spotify, with the La Liga club stating it is the biggest sponsorship deal in its history and that the agreement with see the brand linked to the Catalans for at least 12 seasons.

The agreement was initially announced in March and was approved during Sunday’s general assembly with 89 per cent of votes. Spotify will replace Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce company, as the main sponsor. The Rakuten deal started in 2017 before being renewed in 2020 until the end of this season.

Spotify will also appear on the front of both the men’s and women’s team shirts for four seasons beginning in 2022-23. Barca's iconic home base will be renamed Spotify Camp Nou.

It was a big win for Barca president Joan Laporta. The club have been hit hard financially, struggling with debts of more than a billion euros. La Liga set Barcelona's spending after the January transfer window at -€144 million, down from €98 million last summer. The Spanish league said Barca's losses were €242 million more than expected.

Spanish media said the partnership with the streaming company will give the club more than 400 million euros ($440 million) during its multi-year deal - a lifeline during difficult times.

“Due to a confidentiality clause, applicable in all of Spotify’s global agreements, we cannot give exact figures but what we can say is that it is the best jersey and stadium agreement in financial terms that Barcelona has received,” Laporta said.

The club said Spotify will be associated with the Camp Nou during the four seasons in which it will undergo renovation work as well as the following eight seasons. "The name of Spotify will appear associated with the stadium for the next 12 seasons at least," Laporta added.

The club said its members will have discounts and other benefits with Spotify, and that the streaming company will launch its application in Catalan.