Barcelona have renewed their long-running kit supplier partnership with Nike in a deal that is reportedly the richest of its kind in soccer.
Barca have partnered with Nike since 1998 and their previous agreement, which has been valued at €105 million (US$112 million) per year, was due to expire in June 2028.
It was reported that the Spanish soccer giants were prepared to move on from Nike and had been exploring several options, with the likes of Puma and New Balance linked with a deal. Barca were also said to be considering creating and distributing their own kit.
However, Barca have now opted to stick with Nike and sign a multi-year extension. The pact designates the US sportswear brand as a main partner of the club and official technical partner across all its professional and amateur teams.
Barca added that the arrangement would incorporate a ‘unique model’ designed to fuel global retail and licensing business growth. Nike is set to play a ‘key strategic role’ in the club’s retail operations and collaborate with the club’s Barca Licensing & Merchandising (BLM) arm on product creation, the supply chain and global distribution.
The length and value of the latest contract have not been disclosed. However, Spanish sports newspaper Mundo Deportivo reports the deal is for 14 years until 2038, adding that it is worth about €127 million (US$136 million) annually, which equates to more than €1.7 billion (US$1.8 billion) in total.
The contract purportedly includes a signing bonus of around €158 million (US$169 million) for Barca, which will be paid by Nike over the duration of the deal.
At €127 million per year, Barca’s Nike kit deal has been touted as the richest in soccer. According to Statista, Barca’s fierce rivals Real Madrid pocket at least US$120 million per year from their kit deal with Adidas and Manchester Unitedearn US$105 million annually from their tie-up with Adidas.
By SportsPromedia
