FC Barcelona has signed Google Gemini as its Official Consumer AI Partner and Google Pixel as its Official Mobile Phone Partner, the club announced on 11 August. The partnership covers the club's men's and women's first football teams, and was also reported by Marketing Directo.
What fans are promised
According to the club, Gemini will put "an expert football analyst in fans' pockets", helping them better understand match tactics. It will also be used to transform matchday emotions into fan chants, or to imagine what it feels like to score the winning goal from the pitch at Spotify Camp Nou.
Pixel smartphones will be at the centre of exclusive digital content on the daily lives of the men's and women's first teams, along with experiences that let fans personalise their device interfaces with Barça branding.
One of five clubs
Barcelona is part of a wider move. On 17 August, Google announced new long-term partnerships with five clubs, Arsenal FC, FC Barcelona, FC Bayern München, Liverpool FC and Paris Saint-Germain, with Gemini and Pixel as their Official Consumer AI and Official Smartphone Partner. Club social media teams will use Pixel's camera and Google's AI tools for a "Shot on Pixel" series of behind-the-scenes content, and fans can already customise a Pixel 11 with official club wallpapers.
Google says a fundamental part of the deals is its commitment to help close the visibility gap in women's football, which is why it is partnering equally across men's and women's teams. The announcements do not give the length or value of the agreements beyond Google's description of them as long-term.
"By bringing together Google Pixel's hardware and Google Gemini's capabilities, we want to reimagine what a sports partnership can be," said Esther Marinas, marketing director at Google. Marc Bruix, Global Sponsorships Director at FC Barcelona, called it "a pioneering partnership" and said: "This partnership will bring fans closer to the action than ever before."
