Barcelona stadium to be renamed Spotify Camp Nou after sponsorship deal

Spanish giants have signed a four-year deal with the streaming company

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’s famous Nou Camp will be rebranded as the Spotify Camp Nou as part of a four-year deal agreed between the La Liga giants and the Swedish streaming platform.

Spotify will also become the club’s main partner, with its name appearing on the shirts and training kits of both the men’s and women’s team, and their official audio streaming partner.

Barca have not confirmed how much the sponsorship deal is worth although reports have suggested the club could earn up to €300 million ($328.6 million) over the four years.

Spotify will replace Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce company, as Barcelona's main sponsor. The Rakuten deal started in 2017 before being renewed in 2020 until the end of this season.

Barcelona president Joan Laporta told the club website: “We are very proud to announce a pioneering alliance like this with a world-renowned organisation 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 Barca 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.

“It is also a union with which we continue to take steps forward in this new era that we have started, and which demonstrates, once again, the innovative character and the constant search of excellence that distinguish Barca and have made it a unique club in the world.”

The deal, which has been approved and signed by the club’s board of directors, is subject to ratification at their Extraordinary Delegates Members Assembly, which takes place on April 3.

Barcelona have been desperately seeking a new sponsorship deal to help ease the club's crippling debts of more than a billion euros.

Laporta insisted in January that Barca are "back as big players" in the transfer market but moves for the likes of Erling Haaland from Borussia Dortmund will depend on a huge improvement in their financial situation.

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.

Barcelona's player salaries accounted for 103 percent of all income at the start of the season and the club will have to shift more players in the summer, with Ousmane Dembele expected to leave on a free transfer when his contract expires in July.

Lionel Messi, Luis Suarez, Antoine Griezmann and Philippe Coutinho have all been moved on in the last two years while Sergio Aguero retired due to a heart condition.

Gerard Pique agreed to reduce his salary to allow Barca to sign Memphis Depay and Eric Garcia last year.

Yet Barcelona were allowed to make more signings in January as Ferran Torres arrived for €55 million from Manchester City and Pierre-Emerick Aubameyang came on a free transfer after having his contracted cancelled at Arsenal.

Adama Traore also joined on loan from Wolves while Dani Alves, who was out of contract, re-signed.

Barcelona 2021/22 salaries

Frenkie de Jong is now the top earner at Barcelona, with a weekly wage of £354,000, according to fcbarcelonalatestnews.com. That's an annual salary of £18,434,000. Getty

Sergio Busquets is on £258,000 a week. Icon Sport

Barcelona's Argentinian forward Sergio Aguero is paid £230,000 a week. AP

Memphis Depay earns £230,000 a week. Getty

Gerard Pique gets £210,000 a week. Icon Sport

Ousmane Dembele, £210,000 a week. AP

Miralem Pjanic, £210,000 a week. Getty

Barcelona's French defender Samuel Umtiti is paid £208,000 a week. Getty

Sergi Roberto gets £170,000 a week. Getty

Jordi Alba is paid £150,000 a week. Icon Sport

Philippe Coutinho, £146,000 a week. Getty

Marc-Andre Ter Stegen, £100,000 a week. Getty

Pedri, £85,000 a week estimated after new deal). Getty

Striker Martin Braithwaite is paid £85,000 a week. Getty

Clement Lenglet, £70,000 a week. AFP

Neto, £65,000 a week. Getty

Ronald Araujo, £50,000 a week. Getty

Barcelona's Guinea-Bissau forward Ansu Fati, £45,000 a week (before new deal details have been released). AFP

Sergino Dest, £41,000 a week. AFP

Riqui Puig, £25,000 a week. EPA