Barcelona agreed to extend its deal with kit manufacturer Nike, "with reports in the Spanish media saying it is the most lucrative agreement of its type in the world," according to ESPN. The club said in a statement that "details of the contract would be revealed at the club's next general assembly." Reports in Barcelona newspapers Sport and Mundo Deportivo said the deal -- "which they said would run for another decade" -- could be worth €155M ($174M) a season. Barcelona's statement said, "FC Barcelona and Nike have extended their current sponsorship deal, which was due to end on June 30, 2018" (ESPN, 5/21). In Madrid, Luis Martín reported the club will receive a base of €100M ($112M) during the next two seasons, "before shooting up" to €155M per year in '18 (EL PAÍS, 5/22). THE DRUM's Tony Connelly reported competition between adidas and Nike "has intensified in European football recently with both brands applying a different model to their sports sponsorships." Adidas has sponsored fewer properties in favor of "channeling more of its marketing efforts into promoting its star players like Paul Pogba and Gareth Bale alongside pushing street football." It has also moved to bring its top teams in ManU, Real Madrid, AC Milan and Juventus "under one umbrella strategy for the first time." Nike, meanwhile, "has been looking to extend its stronghold in kit sponsorships and recently swooped in" on Chelsea (THE DRUM, 5/22).
