And last year, Barcelona Football Club scored one of its largest sponsorship deals with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. This settlement involves more than $46.37 million! The agreement is formally signed on June 29. It will feature a giant tourism promotion logo for DR Congo, marketing the country as the “heart of Africa.” This new logo will feature prominently on the backs of men’s and women’s teams’ training and warm-up jerseys.
The deal’s financial framework suggests a rare, exceptional commitment. Over the course of four years, DR Congo will make annual payments to Barcelona ranging from $11.6 million to $13.3 million. The sponsorship increases exposure for DR Congo’s tourism market. As for the branding opportunity, it makes sense to partner with one of the world’s most recognizable football brands.
Beyond jerseys, the logo will appear in numerous advertisement campaigns across Barcelona’s worldwide renown. It will be front and center on the cover of the club’s magazine and annual report. This would help guarantee that DR Congo gets high visibility all over the different platforms attached to the football club.
After the recent rise of hardline political forces in the region, the deal has been covered extensively and critically. In February, DR Congo’s Foreign Minister Therese Kayikwamba Wagner called on football clubs to terminate their sponsorship contracts with “Visit Rwanda.” Her appeal followed by only a few days the fall of Goma, eastern DR Congo’s largest city, to M23 rebels. In response, Rwanda has consistently denied claims that it supports the M23 militia and claims it is operating in self-defense.
So far, neither Barcelona nor DR Congo’s Ministry of Tourism responded to requests for comment about the sponsorship deal. Reuters covered the story on the deal, laying out the contract that is supposed to lay out the ground rules to this partnership.
The sponsorship marks a strategic move for DR Congo, aiming to leverage Barcelona’s global reach to promote tourism and improve the country’s image internationally. Aligning with a high-profile sports team could break new ground for DR Congo. This public-private partnership was created to bring additional visitors and investment to the region.
