[NEWS] FC Barcelona raises approximately 19 billion yen in funding to advance its Web 3.0 strategy

FC Barcelona, ​​a prestigious soccer club based in Spain, announced on the 11th that it has raised 120 million euros (approximately 19 billion yen) from Libero Football Finance AG, a financial consulting company for German soccer clubs, and Nipa Capital B.V., a Dutch venture capital company, as part of its Web 3.0 strategy.

Following this funding and approval from Barcelona's shareholders, the shares of Bridgeburg Invest, which operates the club's Web 3.0 platform "Barça Vision," will be transferred to the two companies. The two companies' combined investment ratio will be 29.5%.

Barça Vision is a platform that provides new fan experiences through digital content related to Web 3.0 and blockchain, such as NFTs and the metaverse.

"The club's content strategy is successful, generating new revenue streams and providing new ways to connect with fans around the world. This transaction is a strategic step to strengthen the path of digital transformation that began in 2022 and provide new resources to continue growing, at a time when the demand for digital sports content is clearly growing," said Barcelona president Joan Laporta in the announcement.

Barcelona has been working on Web 3.0 in the past.

In February 2020, the club partnered with blockchain company Chiliz to issue "BAR" as a fan token. Last month, the club released two NFT collections on Plastiks, a sustainable NFT company.

The collection, called "Unleash Your Passion," issued 3,000 NFTs, which were sold for $20 to $30 each.

With this funding, Barcelona is showing its intention to further advance its Web 3.0 strategy.

Barcelona also announced a partnership with Mountain&Co. I Acquisition Corp, which focuses on digital media and technology. As part of this partnership, Barça Vision's digital and audiovisual content divisions will be integrated into "Barça Media".

The aim of this initiative is to raise funds in the United States and distribute content worldwide. With Barça Media as a new source of revenue, the club's estimated value is expected to reach $1 billion (approximately 145 billion yen).

Reference:Announcement
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