Barcelona push direct fan strategy with Barça Play launch

FC Barcelona have launched Barça Play, a new audiovisual hub integrated into the club’s website and official app as part of a wider direct-to-consumer digital strategy.The platform brings together live broadcasts, archive content, original programming, member benefits and club services within a single digital environment.Paloma Mikadze, director of Barça Identity and Barça Media 360, said: “With Barça Play, we didn't want to create just another platform. We wanted to build FC Barcelona's new audiovisual hub, fully integrated into the website and official App so that members and fans can find and experience everything Barça in one place.“Members are at the heart of the project, which is why they are the first to enjoy the content and live broadcasts free of charge. This is a phased rollout that will later be extended to Culers Premium subscribers and fans.”The launch places members at the centre of the first phase, with free access to content and live broadcasts before the service is expanded to a wider fan base.Barcelona said the official app now has more than 800,000 weekly unique users, a 30% increase year on year.Barça Play will include historic matches, documentaries, interviews, Inside Barça content, original productions and an extensive archive of club footage.The live offering will include pre-season matches, Barça Atlètic fixtures at the Estadi Johan Cruyff, Barça Legends matches and selected La Masia games each weekend.The platform will also carry programming linked to first-team matchdays, including stadium-based shows, analysis, guests and exclusive content.TOP BARÇA, a 24-hour linear channel, will sit inside Barça Play and provide continuous programming built around classic matches, documentaries, archive features and goals.The project is being led by Barça Identity and Barça Media in collaboration with the club’s technology department.Mikadze said: “Barça Play forms part of a long-term strategic vision: strengthening our own channels and building an increasingly integrated digital ecosystem adapted to new consumption habits.”Barcelona are positioning the service as more than a content platform, with ticketing and e-commerce expected to be integrated later as part of an all-in-one digital environment.That strategy gives the club a clearer path to collect fan data, increase engagement, promote membership products and connect content consumption with commercial services.The Barça Play rollout began with a launch event for members, who were invited to test the platform and new official app before wider access is introduced.