Deezer is "continuing to use football as a marketing platform from which to stand apart from its rivals having now partnered with FC Barcelona," according to Tony Connelly of THE DRUM. The music streaming service announced that it agreed to terms with Barcelona to "become the club's official music partner." As part of the deal, Deezer has created an official channel for Barcelona on the platform and "will offer fans playlists created by the club and some of its star players." In addition, Deezer will provide "over 100 songs" featuring tracks that players use pre-match as well as Catalan songs. Confirmation of the deal comes "just two days" after Deezer announced a similar deal with ManU and "builds on the French company's effort to differentiate itself" from the likes of Apple and Spotify. Partnering with "top" football clubs is part of the company's efforts to move away from partnerships with mobile operators to bundle in its app in favor of a more direct to consumer approach. This approach is "intended to increase its direct to consumer proposition in order to gain a more accurate reflection and resonance with consumers" (THE DRUM, 12/15).
