FC Barcelona Secures $132M War Chest For Web3 Initiative

Spanish soccer giant, FC Barcelona, has secured a significant 120-million-euro ($132 million) investment for its digital initiative, Barça Vision.

The investment comes from LIBERO football finance AG and private investors, both of which have acquired a 29.5% stake in Bridgeburg Invest, the holding company behind Barça Vision.

Barça Vision represents the club's move into the Web3 and blockchain space, encompassing digital content such as NFTs and ventures into the metaverse, a press release issued Friday stated.

This initiative is a core component of the club's strategy to develop the digital Espai Barça.

This new partnership aims to bolster Barça Vision by aligning with strategic partners who bring a wealth of knowledge and experience, thereby enhancing business opportunities in the digital sports and entertainment arena.

LIBERO football finance AG, a German-based firm listed on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange, offers advisory services, focusing on the economic aspects of professional football clubs.

The sale of the stake in Bridgeburg Invest was executed following the authorization from the General Assembly of Members of FC Barcelona in October 2021.

Both Socios.com and Orpheus Media, the previous minority partners, were ratified in October 2022 and will remain integral to FC Barcelona's Web3 strategy, leveraging their expertise to explore new digital opportunities, including the BAR Fan Token.

In a parallel development, FC Barcelona has announced a business combination agreement with Mountain & Co. I Acquisition Corp, a special purpose acquisition company.

This collaboration will see the merging of the club's digital Barça Vision with its audiovisual content units under the "Barça Media" brand.

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This move aims to tap into the U.S. capital markets for additional financing, thereby amplifying the club's digital and audiovisual initiatives.

The club anticipates Barça Media to be a significant revenue source, with an estimated pro-forma enterprise value of around 910 million euros.

The deal is set to conclude in the last quarter of 2023, pending approvals.

Joan Laporta, president of FC Barcelona, expressed his enthusiasm about the club's digital trajectory.

"In recent years, our strides in the digital ecosystem have elevated FC Barcelona's brand to unparalleled global heights. Our content strategy has not only been successful but has also paved new avenues to engage with our global fanbase and generate fresh revenue streams. The current strategic move equips us with additional resources, especially at a time when the appetite for digital sports content is burgeoning, further solidifying our digital transformation journey initiated in 2022."

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