?Catalan giants Barcelona are preparing to launch their subscription-based streaming service this spring.
The 24/7 platform Barça TV+ is part of a wider overhaul of the club’s digital strategy and will allow fans to enjoy highlights from first-team matches, exclusive player interviews and archive footage.
Not only that, but the platform will also include live streams from press conferences, Barcelona B games, and all the women’s team league home games. There will also be non-live content from the club’s other sports assets, including their basketball and roller hockey teams.
Speaking about the launch, Spanish entrepreneur and Barça board member Dídac Lee said, as quoted by Sports Pro Media: “Our competitors are no longer only the clubs playing football – there are new players we may not have expected ten years ago, such as Netflix, YouTube, Fortnite, Minecraft. Traditionally, we have been working with the biggest platforms in the world.
“We want to empower this vision by adding our own platforms. Our idea is very simple. We want to have a direct relationship with our fans, we want to learn about them, including what they like, and on what devices, so we can improve the fan experience,” he added.
The service forms part of an ambitious overhaul of the club’s digital strategy, which aims to triple the annual €100m the club currently generate from digital ticketing and merchandise revenue streams over the next five years.
Barça are yet to confirm prices for the membership platform, but it’s understood that the cost for will vary by country. It’s believed, however, that those who are part of the club’s new ‘Culers’ membership will enjoy unlimited access to Barça TV+ via the club’s official website and mobile app.
The Catalan’s chief marketing officer Gullem Grael has confirmed he doesn’t expect the platform to show live first-team matches that take place overseas – the Champions League, for example – although he did say it ‘could be an option’ in the future, as could streaming live pre-season coverage.
Let’
