The expansion of BLM, another reason for Barça to 'break up' with Nike?

The FC Barcelona has had in the Barça Licensing and Merchandising (BLM) a key element for the maintenance of his economy in the last years. In spite of not having the backrest of other expert companies in this sector, this area of the club has positioned like the fourth better source of income, only by behind the rewards from sponsors, taquilla and rights of television.

In fact, it expects that this season the income generated by this sector reach the 120 M€ surpassing the registers of previous campaigns. In the previous period (2022-23), the Barcelona cast obtained 101,9 M€ in this appearance. During the three previous years in which the pandemia by COVID-19 affected, the Barcelonan picture did not reach his best registers in this area: 54,8 M€ in the course 2019-20, 21,7 M€ in the 2020-21 and 51,3 M€ in the 2021-22. Nevertheless, the expectations for this season keep on being alentadoras, especially considering that the 13 retail shops are managed to 100% by the club.

The 'escollo' that puts Nike and that prevents the growth of BLM

However, in the business of the BLM, seems to have a small problem for the FC Barcelona regarding the sale of T-shirts. In his agreement with Nike, that has force until 2026 and can be prorrogado until 2028, exist limitations that prevent to the club commercialise his equipaciones out of Europe. The company of the 'swoosh' does not allow to the Barcelona institution open shops abroad neither make sales of T-shirts on line out of the 'Old Continent'.

In spite of this, the Catalan cast has turned into the square possessor of the T-shirt with greater income in the history of the football with 179 M€ in 2023, surpassing to the Real Madrid (155), to the Bayern (147), to the Liverpool (132) and to the Manchester United (130). This figure could increase if the Barça had the capacity to expand the commercialisation of his product and decide in which markets offers visibility to his official T-shirt. At present, the North American company is the one who commissions of this task in markets highly competitive and where also move clothings of other sportive disciplines, something that does not seem not satisfying the needs of the blaugranas.

Even, east could be one of the main reasons by which the FC Barcelona would want to break with Nike, since this would allow to the club associate with other textile marks that offer him more freedom in the negotiations. In this sense, would like them follow the example of other areas, as the one of the toys, where associated with Bequeath to sell products of the combined Barcelonan, Memorabilia for icons and Etnia for glasses of sun, for mentioning some examples. The BLM has carried out this task of excellent way, and has been recognised by his stood out work like Better Sportive Property of Licences in 2023 by the skilled magazine 'Licences Actuality' (Interempresas).

The Barça already has showed good numbers to level of sales of T-shirts

To close, is worthwhile to stand out that the line of casual clothes of the mark Barça already represents 30% of the sales in physical shops, where has registered an increase of 54% in the turnover, in comparison with an increase of 47% in the e-commerce. Equally, the club explodes other areas like the T-shirts retro and the clothes of woman, with an increase of 275% in comparison with the past year. Regarding the most sold T-shirts in the feminine field, stand out the ones of Alexia Putellas, Aitana Bonmati and Mapi León, whereas in the masculine field, the leaders of sales are Robert Lewandowski, Gavi and Pedri.