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As you may have heard by now, Real Madrid and Microsoft have been courting each other in order to materialize a relationship between the two global powers. Today they held a press conference to announce that they have come together in a partnership which will see the Spanish giants receive an estimated £20 million over four years (for comparison's sake, Barca's deal with Intel is £16 million over five years), or approximately one quarter of a Gareth Bale.
The partnership, according to a press release, has the aim of the "creation of a digital platform that will revolutionize the way millions of supporters enjoy following their team" which "will revolutionize the experience enjoyed by members and supporters of the club by providing digital services that are accessible anywhere, anytime and on a host of devices (such as PCs, tablets, smartphones and wearables)."
Orlando Ayala, corporate vice president and chairman, Emerging Markets at Microsoft, had the following to say about the deal:
Today is the start of a long journey that Real Madrid and Microsoft are embarking on together, heading toward the full digital revolution of the club. This new era translates into an unprecedented personalized experience for supporters that will allow millions of fans from all over the planet to enjoy their passion for Real Madrid anywhere, anytime and on any device.
Neat. I'll be sure to keep an eye out on whatever it is they're aiming to create, but to me the important thing is the money that the club will be receiving from the tech giants. For those who were concerned that this partnership will have an impact on the stadium modifications and its financing by selling the stadium's name, it would appear that we won't be seeing the name change to Estadio Bill Gates any time soon as naming rights don't appear to be part of the agreement.
Here's a promotional video of the partnership.
Yay! To read more, visit the Microsoft blog.
