Barcelona sign exclusive deal with Taiping Life

Barcelona star Lionel Messi

Spanish footballing giants FC Barcelona have agreed a multi-year deal with Chinese insurance provider Taiping Life.

The partnership will run until the 2022/2023 and it will grant Taiping Life access to the many LED boards that run around the Nou Camp during fixtures.

Some of the most notable matches include an upcoming showdown against La Liga rivals Atletico Madrid in late April and the ‘Derbi Barceloni’ against Espanyol in May.

However, these matches pale in comparison to some of the UEFA Champions League fixtures that will potentially take place over the coming months.

Barcelona are scheduled to face Italian side Napoli at the Nou Camp on the 19th of March and assuming Barcelona win the two-leg tie, more matches will be held at the near 100,000 capacity behemoth of a stadium.

Barcelona are no strangers to the Chinese market. As a matter of fact, they are currently leading the way for clubs across the globes when it comes to China.

As reported in January of this year, Barcelona are in fact the most popular side in the Chinese online market.

Barcelona’s Asia-Pacific Director Toni Claveria had this to say, “China is an important market for Barcelona.’

‘The cooperation with Taiping Life Insurance further strengthened our commitment to the Chinese market and will also help the club strengthen its connection with Chinese fans and further expand the number of fans.”

Cheng Yonghong, CEO of Taiping Life also said this, “Barça and Taiping both have a rich brand history, and Barça is one of the most successful and popular football clubs worldwide. Barça’s brand promotion successfully reaches every corner around the globe and has a huge fanbase in China.’

‘This partnership will further enhance Taiping’s brand awareness internationally and ability to deliver unique customer service experience.”

Taiping Life customers will be offered the opportunity to visit the Nou Camp, meet former players as well as many other benefits.

Barcelona’s ability to connect with fans across the globe has always been one of their strongest assets off the field. Both the Catalan giants and fierce Spanish rivals Real Madrid have dominated La Liga for what seems like an eternity, as well as the UEFA Champions League.

There is certainly a lot of coverage out here in Australia and it should come as no surprise that there is a lot of coverage in China as well.

The Chinese league has grown exponentially in the last few years, with more and more superstars moving out there to play for clubs such as Guangzhou Evergrande and Beijing Sinobo Guoan F.C.

Some of the biggest players in the Chinese Super League include former Chelsea star Oscar, former Barcelona midfielder Paulinho, Austrian striker Marko Arnautovic who only recently moved to China from English giants West Ham United, Italian winger Stephan El Shaarawy, former Napoli midfielder Marek Hamsik and former Manchester United player Marouane Fellaini.

Many of these players move East in the latter stages of their careers. Fellaini, Hamsik and Paulinho are all examples of that.

However, there are some who, put simply, chase the money and sacrifice the chance to play in Europe in the hopes of setting themselves and their families up after they retire well down the line.

Regardless, it’s a smart move on Barcelona’s behalf to make this deal, which will improve their standing and continuous development in China.

The club arguably needed to make some more positive waves after the debacle that has been the signing of Danish striker Martin Braithwaite.

Braithwaite was only signed as injury cover for French attacker Ousmane Dembele. La Liga granted the Catalans the ability to sign someone, an agreement which didn’t go down well with many fans, despite the club being restricted to signing someone from the domestic league only.

Braithwaite was signed from cellar dwellers Leganes, who as a result of Braithwaite departing, will probably end up in the Second Division for the first time since the 2015/16 season.

So this Taiping Life deal has come at just the right time for Barcelona.

It’s a win-win deal and one can only assume that the game of soccer will only grow from here in China. This is something that all fans can agree on. So hopefully for the Spanish powerhouse, the news of this deal with Taiping Life will get them back in the good books of some.

What are your thoughts on this deal between Barcelona and Taiping Life? Let us know on Twitter @Soccersceneau and get involved in the discussion. Also, feel free to subscribe to our weekly newsletter for more news just like this.

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A-League Reaches Historic Goal Milestone as Viewership Surges

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A-League reach scoring and viewership record
Image Credit: IOIO IMAGES / Shutterstock.com

Just this week the Isuzu UTE A-League has announced it has reached the 500-goal mark in record time this season in line with another recent report of another increase of viewership for the a-league.

Highlighting an exciting period of growth for the competition both on and off the pitch.

Western Sydney Wanderers defender Alex Gersbach’s strike against Western United on Sunday became the 500th goal of the 2024-25 campaign.

The milestone was achieved after just 150 matches, making it the fastest the league has ever reached this tally, surpassing last season’s record of 152 matches.

The current season’s goal-scoring rate dramatically outpaces historical comparisons.

During the 2000-01 National Soccer League season, it took 159 games to reach 150 goals, while the 1996-97 campaign required 161 matches. The 2022-23 season needed 163 games to hit similar numbers.

This scoring record was presented the same time as the encouraging news on the viewership front.

The A-Leagues reporting an 11% increase to last season in total viewership audience for 10+ and 10 Play according to recent data shared by the competition.

The league viewership currently sits at 3.96 million nationally and is expected to hit 4 million people at the end of the season.

This is a record increase of viewership and shows the popularity of the sport in a very saturated sporting market.

The twin developments of record-setting goal production and increased viewership point to a positive trajectory for Australian football and its ability to be an enjoyable an action-packed season for audiences.

The growth of the viewership should be built upon in coming seasons and proves that the league is continuing to grow traction.

One must point out if there is a connection between the number of goals and the rise in viewership.

The spread of goals however points towards not a league with huge differing quality of teams.

Another point to highlight, is that viewership is high is also being backed up by the active support at the grounds.

Big matches such as the Sydney Derby has brought in huge numbers, however, it will be at the end of the season if we see an all -round rise in ground attendance.

With this year also capping of the largest increase in transfer revenue and playing minutes for under 23 players.

These results points towards a wealth of quality players who can excite the league and develop its quality.

Also, with this comes the opportunity for increased transfer opportunities, revenue streams and sponsorship deals.

The potential for this league and its increasing popularity is something that needs to be supported and developed in the coming seasons.

AS Monaco Signs Five-Year Deal with Mizuno for 2025/26 Season

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Image Credit: AS Monaco website

AS Monaco has entered a new five-year partnership with Mizuno, a Japanese sportswear manufacturer, that will become the club’s official technical equipment partner across all teams beginning 1 July 2025.

The agreement marks Mizuno’s first entry into Ligue 1 as a technical sponsor, continuing its strategic push into European football markets, where it already has a presence in Germany’s Bundesliga and Italy’s Serie A.

Comprehensive Supply and Distribution for AS Monaco and Mizuno

As part of the deal, Mizuno will supply match kits, training gear, and off-field apparel for all levels of the club. The partnership will also see the launch of premium merchandise lines, including lifestyle pieces and exclusive collections that combine Mizuno’s design philosophy with AS Monaco’s visual identity.

The collections will be available through Mizuno’s global retail network, helping the club connect with its growing international fan base, now exceeding 26 million social media followers.

For Mizuno, this partnership reinforces its long-term aim to re-establish its football brand presence across Europe by collaborating with historic, performance-focused clubs. The AS Monaco deal expands its footprint in France and strengthens its presence across multiple leagues.

Executive Insights: Looking Ahead to the 2025/26 Season

Mizuno EMEA Head of Sports, Mark Kaiway, highlighted the importance of the collaboration for brand growth and long-term positioning.

“We are thrilled and deeply honoured to announce our partnership with AS Monaco. At Mizuno, we are committed to delivering high-performance gear that empowers athletes to reach their full potential,” he said via press release.

“This collaboration represents a shared passion for excellence and we look forward to supporting AS Monaco as they continue to inspire fans around the world.”

AS Monaco CEO, Thiago Scuro, referred to the agreement as a key step in the club’s commercial development.

“We are proud of this future collaboration with Mizuno, an extremely innovative and creative brand with a unique history in football,” he said via press release.

“This partnership marks a new stage in the development of AS Monaco, and we are convinced that Mizuno will be able to support our aspirations and ambition.”

Both executives emphasised the partnership’s potential to extend beyond kit supply, exploring co-branded storytelling, fan engagement, and long-term retail initiatives.

Mizuno will begin supplying match and training kits to AS Monaco for the 2025/26 season, with the official unveiling of the new designs scheduled for the summer of 2025.

This collaboration includes support for the club’s academy system and association-level teams, reflecting a full-service technical sponsorship.

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