By Claire Obae
- Spotify will be replacing its logo on FC Barcelona jerseys with Drake’s OVO owl logo to celebrate the rapper’s milestone of 50B collective streams on the platform
- Revenue in the music streaming segment is projected to reach $5.46B in 2022
Hip-hop and international soccer collide with major support from a rap superstar and music streaming service. Barcelona will wear the logo of Canadian rapper Drake on the front of their jersey in their upcoming La Liga game against Real Madrid. The announcement comes as part of Spotify’s (SPOT +3.16%) partnership with Drake and OVO to celebrate the rapper’s milestone of 50 billion collective streams on the platform.
Why This Matters: While we’re all familiar with Drake’s work as an artist, what about his work as a cultural influencer? How does his involvement with Barcelona fit into this bigger picture? Drake is a global superstar who has been able to cross over into many different markets including music, TV, film and sports. He’s also one of the most popular artists in the world right now, so it makes sense for Barcelona to team up with him.
Drake is using his influence to tap into new audiences, and he’s doing it at a time when streaming is booming. Streaming platforms are trying to find ways to attract new users and keep existing ones. The proof is in Spotify’s revenue which is up $3 billion and 456 million users in the previous financial year. Not to mention that revenue in the music streaming segment is projected to reach $5.46 billion in 2022, according to Statista.
The Drake partnership gives FC Barcelona access to millions of his fans who might otherwise be unfamiliar with the soccer team. It also could give Drake exposure to new fans who may be interested in other Barcelona sports teams like basketball or handball.
For instance, Paris Saint-Germain’s Kylian Mbappé is set to rack up a cool $128 million in the coming financial year. He is the man to watch and is set to be the first Black man to be the highest paid soccer player in the world.
What’s Next: This isn’t just a case of brands looking to tap into new audiences by working with celebrities. It goes deeper than that, it shows how brands can use these people to connect with audiences in a way that’s authentic, organic and engaging. For Drake, this aligns perfectly with his own brand, which is all about his ability to connect with people from all walks of life. If Spotify puts its money where its mouth is, it could be one for the books.
CBX Vibe: “Nonstop” Drake