Apple Music Joins Soccer Streaming Sponsorship Trend With FC Bayern Munich Partnership

This first-of-its kind exclusive deal marks the start of a serious push into the sports and entertainment market place by Apple’s music streaming service as it aims to depth to exclusive content.

This new alliance actually builds on previous ties between FC Bayern and Apple: such as the club’s partnership with Apple-owned Beats by Dre – Bayern Munich’s official sound partner.

This tie-up has led to TV spots, plus digital and social video

and a range of other marketing and content-driven pieces, as well as players wearing the brand’s product to and from games.

.@David_Alaba ist heiß! #SCFFCB #packmas pic.twitter.com/8nYCSZhKqj

— FC Bayern München (@FCBayern) January 20, 2017

Other linked partnerships include Bayern Munich star defender Mats Hummels explaining how important music is to him (especially when preparing for a match) in a current Deutsche Telekom and Apple Music commercial.

Indeed, while this may be a first for Apple, competitors such as Deezer have already established partnerships with football teams.

For example, Spotify has a sponsorship with fellow German club Borussia Mönchengladbach – again, this deal sees the club and its players create official playlists, integrate Spotify into their website and collaborate over joint marketing campaigns (click to listen).

While Deezer is particularly active in terms of high-profile European football club partnerships and has deals with teams such as Manchester United

and FC Barcelona.

@Deezer, nuevo patrocinador oficial de música del FC Barcelona https://t.co/yrJzVQ0Yx3 #SoundOfBarça pic.twitter.com/eJQF3jjAhR

— FC Barcelona (@FCBarcelona_es) December 15, 2016

Indeed, while music may well have long played an important role in sport, helping athletes and footballers train and providing anthems for fans on the terraces, for a long time the genres were kept largely separate in terms of marketing and partnerships.

However, over the last decade this relationship has changed dramatically as the two spaces now interact frequently.

Thus, this tie-up is actually part of a wider, umbrella trend for the blending of once largely separate entertainment genres such as sport and music.