FC Barcelona indicated on Friday the sale of 24.5% of Barça Studios to the company Orphus Media, directed by Jaume Roures, for 100 million euros (103.7 million dollars), after having sold another 24.5% of its audiovisual subsidiary for the same amount.
This outflow of assets is added to the sale of 10% and then another 15% of LaLiga’s television rights to the US investment fund Sixth Street between June and July for a total of 400 million euros (412.7 million dollars). ) and the sale of 24.5% of the shares of Barça Studios on August 1 to the Socios.com platform for another 100 million euros.
The Catalan club continues its financial maneuvers to obtain liquidity quickly, with the aim of registering its signings (Raphinha, Lewandowski, Koundé…) in LaLiga while respecting the salary limit, before the start of the championship.
This “fourth lever” has the approval of the club’s members, who approved the sale of 49.9% of the shares in Barça Studios.
Although the television rights transactions with Sixth Street have a duration set at 25 years, the sales of Barça Studios are final.
Orpheus Media is a company run by Jaume Roures, founder of Mediapro and a well-known Spanish businessman with businesses in the media and in the audiovisual broadcasting of football.
In addition to asset sales, Barça has sought liquidity in other ways, such as a €595 million ($613.85 million) loan with Goldman Sachs and a sponsorship deal with Spotify for nearly €435 million ( $448.78 million).
In August 2021, Laporta announced after an audit of the club’s accounts that FC Barcelona had a total debt estimated at 1,350 million euros ($1,392.8 million), and the club had to let Argentine Lionel Messi leave. to the Paris SG, explaining that he could not afford to keep the star, even on a reduced salary.