Oppo renews Global Partner deal with Barcelona

Chinese smartphone brand Oppo has renewed its partnership with LaLiga club Barcelona.

Under the deal, Oppo will continue as a Global Partner of Barcelona for the next three seasons, from 2019-20 to 2021-22.

The partnership gives Oppo rights to in-stadium signage at the Nou Camp and at the Joan Gamper training ground, and allows Oppo to host workshops for fans, alongside online fan engagement activities.

Alen Wu, global vice president of overseas business at Oppo, said: “Spain and the European market overall is an integral region for OPPO as we grow our presence there – and we know that in order to grow we must connect with our customers.”

Oppo’s original four-year deal with Barcelona dates back to 2016, and the deal is currently the longest-running partnership between a Chinese brand and a European football club, according to a statement from Oppo.

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The renewal was announced at an event at the Camp Nou yesterday, which also doubled as the launch of a limited edition FC Barcelona version of Oppo’s flagship handset, the Reno 10x Zoom.

Oppo has invested heavily in sports sponsorship this year, and has also used its partnership signings and extensions in other markets to drive publicity for its latest handsets.

In March this year, Oppo launched its Reno handset in the UK at an event at Tobacco Dock in London, where it also initiated its ICC Cricket World Cup campaign, supported by a personal endorsement deal with England vice-captain Jos Buttler.

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This year Oppo also signed new partnerships with the Wimbledon tennis championship and Roland-Garros.

As in all its current sports partnerships, Oppo will use the Barcelona deal to showcase the Reno handset and the quality of its camera technology.

Oppo is the world’s fifth largest smartphone producer, with operations in over 40 countries.