Official: Barcelona members agree to sell 25% of television rights

On what was a landmark day for FC Barcelona, the club’s assembly has passed motions over the sale of two important assets.

The approval of selling 49.9% of BLM has predictably grabbed the headlines, with the club expecting the generate around €300 million by auctioning off almost half of the Licensing & Merchanding division.

Barcelona have already received a package worth around €275 million for BLM, but the club president Joan Laporta is holding out for better offers from other interested parties.

In addition to BLM, Barcelona members have approved the sale of 25% of the club’s television rights. A total of 494 members had voted in favour of the sale, whereas 62 were against the motion.

The sale of TV rights is expected to generate even more revenue than BLM, ultimately helping the club balance the books and settle a majority of the debts.

Laporta has already confirmed the club had received a bid of €1 billion for 100% of television rights. But the club knocked back the offer.

They are not willing to give up more than 25% of the rights, knowing it will be important to keep hold of one of the club’s main sources of income. They are expected to sell a quarter of the rights for a period of up to 25 years.

With the motion passed, the club are bracing themselves for a slew of offers within the coming days.

Laporta is likely to hold out for a bit to squeeze the best out of interested parties, but the club are also in a hurry to sanction the sale, as it will go a long way in giving them the boost in the pursuit of top targets such as Robert Lewandowski this summer.

Official: BarçaTV+