Not Only Spotify - Barcelona Kits to Feature Changing Logos
Update: Bleacher report have created some great illustrations featuring different shirt artists as shirt sponsors for Barcelona's 22-23 home, away and third kits.
Spotify’s recently confirmed deal with Barcelona could be a game changer in terms of shirt sponsorship, as the music streaming service have alluded to several interesting approaches they will be taking throughout their first partnership with a football club. Different sponsor logos on their shirts throughout the season are likely, but there could be much more than that to come, as they strive to “bring the worlds of football and music together”.
All quotes in this article come from Spotify’s Chief Freemium Business Officer, Alex Norström.
Changing Sponsor Logos
The most interesting prospect from a football shirt fan’s point of view is the possibility of different logos appearing on the shirt throughout the season. Logos is probably not the right word to use here, as Spotify say:
Spotify and FC Barcelona will work together to create opportunities for the iconic shirt to be a space that celebrates artists from across the world. As shirt sponsor, Spotify will work to create a new platform to amplify artist voices. We think this can be more than just a Spotify logo on a shirt.
Could we see photos of artists or album covers on the Blaugrana shirts? Or possibly Spotify codes that bring you to a new track or album when scanned? Obviously the match worn kits will be where most of this chopping and changing will be visible, but selling replica kits to fans with an option of which artist appears on their shirt would really be revolutionary, and probably reach new markets of music fans who may not previously had an in interest football shirts.
The closest thing to this we have seen in the past was Atletico Madrid's deal with Columbia Pictures back in the mid 2000s. Their shirts were adorned with the stylised titles of various films in the run up to their releases. Something similar to this would generate huge interest and attention, working in Barcelona's favour and obviously also that of Spotify.
Interactive Experiences
And for fans—both music and Barça fans—we’ll be creating more interactive and exciting experiences to connect with the artists they love.
The ”interactive” aspect mentioned in the quote above supports the theory of scannable codes featuring on the kit, but more than likely also applies to other initiatives that Spotify have in the works that are not directly linked to the shirts. Social media campaigns are a big part in any modern day sponsorship deal, and with Spotify being the number one platform for music streaming, they are surely no slouches in the online marketing department. They no doubt have plenty of ideas on how the deal can work off the pitch and online as well.
Geo-Targeting from inside the Stadium
We’ve always used our marketing as a platform for artists, so it’s adding another huge stage, literally a stadium, to help artists interact with fans around the world. Barça’s games attract a huge, global viewership per season and we’re looking forward to working with them to connect artists to this audience.
One non-kit related element of any sponsorship deal is pitchside advertising. In nearly all top level stadiums, old fashioned advertising hoarding has become a thing of the past, making way for digital boards with moving, changing ads. The next step is augmented reality advertising, as seen in the video below.
I just learned augmented reality advertisement is a thing now. 🤯Because why should you sell ad space only once, when you can sell it per TV channel, streaming service, country etc?😬 pic.twitter.com/8NfFrI0ZLP
— svbl (@svblxyz) July 3, 2021
This essentially means that tv viewers will see different advertisements depending on where in the world they are, what channel they are watching the match on, etc. As music tastes and trends differ hugely around the world, Spotify can really use this to their advantage and target their audiences in different parts of the world with the artists that are most popular in those regions. Their algorithms already do an incredible job at identifying individual music listeners’ tastes, so this could be along the same lines but on a much larger scale.
For example, using the dynamic digital displays to showcase and geo-target relevant artists to Barça’s global TV audience. While viewers in Europe may see a message about one artist, TV viewers in India could be served a different and locally relevant message.
The Shirt Sponsorship of the Future
Something that would be another huge leap forward would be the use of this technology to digitally alter the logos that fans see on the player shirts. Check out the video below showing an NBA jersey where the name and number can be modified automatically.
This technology surely has advertising potential, and was more than likely created with this in mind. If Spotify applied this to Barcelona’s shirts, the possibilities would be endless. This is no doubt in the pipeline, but how close we are to seeing this being used on football jerseys is unclear.
Promoting Equality and New Artists
Spotify’s Equal campaign aimed to help reduce the discrepancy between the disproportionate number of successful female music artists there are in the industry compared to their male counterparts. The fact that their deal is with both FCB's men’s and women’s teams shows their commitment to promoting equality, and gives them even more scope for future campaigns.
If you think about how we’ve used our marketing platforms in the past, which regularly spotlight new and female artists through our EQUAL and RADAR programs, you can get a sense of the approach we’ll be thinking about for the partnership.
Radar was another project that hoped to bring new talent to the forefront of the music world. Both of these initiatives were about more than just promoting the hottest names and chart toppers, and this is something Spotify say they want to continue with the Barcelona partnership. Maybe we shouldn’t be expecting to see only established household names on the shirts, although there will probably be a mixture of well-known and lesser known musicians featured.
Awaiting Final Approval
From everything that’s been revealed about the partnership so far, it’s clear that Spotify have got big plans, maybe even revolutionary for the world of football sponsorship. One final hurdle remains before they can start to implement these plans and that is getting the green light for everything from FC Barcelona themselves.
The partnership plans are subject to the ratification of the Barcelona Members’ Assembly, which will take place in early April.
Getting this final approval may seem like a formality, but Barcelona have been known to reject proposals relating to the club’s visual image before. Back in 2018, a redesigned crest had been revealed by the club, only for president Bartomeu to veto the change the day before the Members Assembly was to vote on it.
If the assembly isn't convinced by some of Spotify’s proposals for the shirts, they may vote against them and Spotify may have to alter their plans. For a deal of this scale however, all plans were probably discussed during negotiations, so the propositions shouldn’t come as too much of a surprise to the members' assembly, so the members may have their minds made up already.
This partnership should prove to be one of the most interesting in the game, as well as the most effective. It doesn’t officially start until July, but Spotify have already gained a lot of publicity from it. It will be very interesting to see how all of their plans play out and how this could influence shirt sponsorship going forward.
How would you like to see Spotify use Barcelona’s shirts? Let us know in the comments.
Atalanta 26-27 Third Kit Released
Atalanta and New Balance have officially unveiled the club's new third kit for the 26-27 season. Completing the Italian side's set alongside the previously launched home and away strips, the jersey introduces an elegant aesthetic rooted in the architectural heritage of Bergamo.
The New Balance Atalanta 26-27 third shirt is finished in a warm beige base officially dubbed 'Toasted Sesame', accented by black and 'Taffy Blue' trim on the V-neck collar and sleeve cuffs. Subtly woven across the body is a geometric jacquard pattern inspired by the famous sundial of Bergamo's Palazzo della Ragione. The chest prominently features Atalanta's retro 1964 crest, which depicts the running goddess alongside traditional black and blue stripes.
The New Balance branding appears in black, while Lete's red logo and SNAIFUN complete the front sponsorship. Inside the collar, a bespoke graphic highlights the Bergamo skyline accompanied by the motto 'LA MAGLIA SUDATA SEMPRE'. Crafted with breathable NB DRYx technology, the new kit is available now via the club's official channels.
Thailand Forced to Change Kits at 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup
According to Ball Stand Thailand, the Thailand national team and Warrix must modify their kits for the 2026 FIFA ASEAN Cup, as the current uniform violates FIFA regulations.
Laws 4 of the IFAB players' equipment prohibits any political, religious, or personal slogans, statements, or images on match shirt.
Thailand’s 2026–27 kits by Warrix feature an pattern of the national anthem lyrics. Although national anthem lyrics are not explicitly classified as prohibited text, incorporating a full sentence from the anthem or extracts with ideological undertones onto the kit is still considered a violation of slogan regulations.
Raphinha Becomes Brazil's New Number 10
Raphinha officially wore Brazil's iconic No. 10 shirt for the first time in a friendly against Australia, becoming the latest player to inherit the famous number following Neymar's departure from the national team after the 2026 World Cup.
The Barcelona forward is no stranger to the shirt, having already worn No. 10 several times during Brazil's 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign when Neymar was unavailable.
Kelme Brisbane Roar 26-27 Home, Away, Third & Goalkeeper Kits Released - No More Cikers
Brisbane Roar and Spanish brand Kelme have officially launched the club's new kit collection for the 26-27 A-Leagues campaign. The drop represents the manufacturer's first full league set for the Queensland side after signing a three-year technical partnership earlier this year, succeeding previous supplier Cikers.
The 26-27 home kit marks a return to the club's traditional orange and black combination. The jersey features a textured orange base, black trim along the collar and cuffs, and is completed with black shorts and orange socks. The away jersey provides a crisp contrast with an off-white base accented by maroon detailing and shorts, celebrating Queensland's traditional sporting colour. Across the jerseys, the men's team features new primary partner Focus Construct on the front, while the women's shirts display Ausenco.
A major highlight of the release is the retro theme seen across the alternate designs. The vibrant blue third kit revives Brisbane Roar's original 2005 logo above an embossed lion graphic sweeping across the bottom front, accented with orange details. The retro crest also takes center stage on the maroon goalkeeper shirt, which features an elegant polo collar framed by orange piping.
Leicester City 26-27 Third Kit Released
Leicester City and Adidas have officially unveiled their new third kit for the 26-27 season. Arriving seven weeks into the campaign, the fresh strip introduces a distinct look that rounds off the Foxes' wardrobe for the year, joining the blue home and maroon away shirts.
The Adidas Leicester City 26-27 third jersey pairs an off-white base with green vertical pinstripes running down the front. The collar, sleeve cuffs, and signature Three Stripes on the shoulders are also finished in matching green. The standout element of the shirt is the club crest, which replaces the standard full-color badge with a minimalist green fox head emblem. The Adidas Performance logo sits opposite in matching green, while the men's version features BC.GAME and the women's team kit showcases King Power sponsorship.
White shorts and socks with green accents complete the full strip. The Leicester City 26-27 third kit is currently available for pre-order via the club's official online store, with deliveries scheduled to commence in October.
Purple Real Madrid 26-27 Originals Collection Leaked
A brand new lifestyle collection from Real Madrid and Adidas have been leaked via online stores, giving a full look onto its purple Originals tracksuit.
The design of the jacket is identical to away anthem jacket range from the German brand this season, featuring a white horizontal band with a yellow/orange trim. Both logos are displayed in monochrome white, match with the shoulder three-stripes. The full tracksuit is expected to be used as pre-match outfit or anthem jacket, depending the club's own intention.
What do you think of the new Real Madrid 26-27 Originals collection? Let us know in the comments below.
