August 14 – FC Barcelona have sold a further 29.5% stake in its digital content division Barca Vision for €120 million to German investors Libero football finance AG and private investors advised by NIPA Capital B.V.
The acquiring investors have become new partners in Bridgeburg Invest, the holding company of Barca Vision.
The sell-off gives Barca more immediate cash to keep the club’s spending in the current transfer window within LaLiga’s financial fair play rules and to complete player registrations ahead of the new season. The club currently has 12 players unregistered, including new signing Ilkay Gundogan.
Barca Vision is the club’s vehicle that holds all digital content around Web3 and blockchain including NFTs and metaverse, and are behind the strategy to build the digital Espai Barca.
“The investors have acquired a total of 29.5% of the ownership of Barca Vision (Bridgeburg) for €120 million corresponding to part of the participation being held by Socios.com and Orpheus Media,” said the investor announcement.
The total enterprise value of the company is put at $1 billion with a launch on the NT Stock Exchange mooted as the next corporate step for the business.
“With this transaction, FC Barcelona succeeds in strengthening Barca Vision alongside strategic partners who provide knowledge and experience to foster business opportunities in the digital world of sports and entertainment,” said the club.
Barca president Joan Laporta said: “The club has made considerable progress in the digital ecosystem turning our assets into a creative hub that boosts FC Barcelona’s brand to unique levels in the World.
“The club’s content strategy has proven to be a success and provides us with new ways to connect with our fans globally in addition to generate new revenue streams.
“This step we are taking now is a strategic move that provides us with new resources to continue growing at a time when the demand for digital sports content is clearly expanding reinforcing the path of digital transformation started in 2022,” he added.
Before the start of last season, and now this, Laporta has described each sell off of a stake in the club’s digital business as an ‘economic lever’. But assets can only be sold once and Barca now look like they are running out of economic levers to pull.
Contact the writer of this story, Harry Ewing, at moc.l1732538822labto1732538822ofdlr1732538822owedi1732538822sni@o1732538822fni1732538822