Paris Saint-Germain has signed a three-year agreement with GOAT Group, the online platform that offers sneakers, luxury clothing, and accessories. The club will be the first to have a dedicated section in the GOAT e-commerce store, featuring limited edition items, collaborations, and vintage products. The brand will appear on the PSG kit sleeve and will be promoted on television, online via the team’s social media channels, and at the Paris stadium.

PSG has collaborated with various fashion brands in recent years, alongside its long-standing partnership with Nike. Adding GOAT to PSG’s kit marks a rare occurrence where a sneaker retailer will be promoted on the same uniform as Nike.

The e-commerce company has expanded outside the US, especially in Europe and the Middle East, and works directly with brands like Versace and Balenciaga. The company was last valued at $3.7 billion in a funding round and has now entered the football world to boost brand visibility and enhance its image.

By Antonio Devilla

Sports are constantly evolving, and with them, so are marketing strategies. Social media currently enables clubs to expand their target audience and increase visibility, as well as provide an additional source of revenue.

In fact, nearly every club uses social media to monetise and gain additional income – except Manchester United. The English club prefers to use its players as influencers rather than publishing sponsored posts, creating bespoke communication for each player to direct the audience to external websites and acquire data to enhance its e-commerce side, with a particular focus on the team’s star players.

Currently, United boasts the largest fan base in Europe and dominates social media with numbers surpassing those of its rivals, thanks in part to recent signings, most notably Cristiano Ronaldo. His presence alone brings substantial visibility to the team. By using its players to share personal stories, match moments, or anecdotes, United establishes an emotional connection with fans through their favourite players, even if only virtually.

This unusual strategy, unmatched among other top global clubs, is nonetheless shrewd and appears to be yielding results, given the club’s strong following and recent income, despite consistently moderate yet rarely outstanding sporting results.

By Antonio Devilla