Football: Barcelona sign new four-year sponsorship deal with Rakuten worth at least $84m

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FC Barcelona signs up a massive new sponsorship deal worth more than $230 million over four years. But what is Rakuten, the Japanese firm lending its name to the famous red and blue striped shirts?

(REUTERS) - Barcelona have agreed a new four-year deal for their shirt sponsorship with Japanese Internet retailer Rakuten worth €55 million (S$83.5 million) a year excluding potential add-ons, the La Liga champions said on Wednesday.

Barcelona - once renowned for never having had a sponsor on their shirts - will earn an additional €1.5 million for each time they win La Liga and an additional €5 million each time they win the Champions League.

The deal, which has an option to extend into a fifth season, will begin from the 2017-18 campaign.

Barcelona has also signed deals to feature the Turkish electronics brand Beko on shirtsleeves and US semiconductor company Intel on the inside of its shirts.

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