Rakuten, the Japanese e-commerce corporation, has landed exclusive merchandising rights in its home market to Spanish soccer giants Barcelona.
The deal will see Rakuten produce a new range of Barcelona merchandise in Japan, which will be available on e-commerce platforms.
This deal builds on the existing strong relationship between the two organisations.
Rakuten is the main shirt sponsor of Barcelona in a deal worth €55 million ($64 million) per year that began in 2017 and was recently extended to the end of the 2021-22 season.
Rakuten is also the global innovation and entertainment partner to the Spanish team.
The planned Barcelona-themed products in Japan will include branded clothing, toys, stationary, health and beauty items and food products.
Additional merchandise will be developed in collaboration with other partners.
