Combining Music and Football in an Innovative Way
Fútbol Club Barcelona and Sony Music have inked a deal to collaborate on projects that combine "big name football stars and big-name music artists," Under the partnership, FC Barcelona will also make use of the Sony Music catalogue for promotional content produced by the club.
“With this initial collaboration agreement we intend to improve the fan experience for our supporters through musical content and innovative audiovisual materials," FC Barcelona president Josep Maria Bartomeau said in statement.
The partnership was sealed at a meeting at Barcelona’s Camp Nou soccer stadium on Sunday (August 4), attended by Bartomeau and the club’s CEO Òscar Grau, together with Sony Music Latin Iberia chairman and CEO Afo Verde and José Maria Barbat, president of Sony Music Entertainment Iberia.
"Our prestigious partnership with the FC Barcelona organization… gives both parties a unique platform to tell stories by combining music and sports," Verde said.
Under the two-year deal, the soccer club and music label will together "promote the creation of entertainment experiences that combine two activities about which Barça fans and people of all ages are especially passionate: music and sport," according to information provided by Sony.
The partnership was announced as Barça is set to play a friendly match in Miami against Napoli on Wednesday (Aug. 7) with Sony and Barça executives, artists and players convening at a party in Miami Monday night. As a warm up to that game, Tuesday evening, Miami's Bayfront Park will host the Barça Fest Miami, featuring Sony artists Pedro Capó and Play-N-Skillz.
Sony is also the music partner for Cirque du Soleil’s upcoming show Messi10, based on the life of the Barça Superstar Leo Messi. The show, which Cirque is producing with Argentine promoter Popart, is set to debut Oct. 10 in Barcelona. (Messi will not participate in Wednesday’s game or another game against Napoli on in Ann Arbor, Michigan on Saturday due to a leg injury).
Pinto Wahín, a former Barça goalie turned music producer who is collaborating on tracks for the Messi10 production, did fly to Miami with the team. Wahín signed a deal with Sony Music Latin earlier this year.
