Lassa Will Reach Out to 1 Billion People with FC Barcelona

BARCELONA, Spain and ISTANBUL, September 14, 2015 /PRNewswire/ --

Thedetails of theglobal partnershipagreement between FC Barcelona and Lassa Tyres wereunveiledon September 14th in Barcelona.Lassa made history by becoming the first brandtoundertake the global title partnership ofallindoor sportsteamsof FC Barcelonaandtook an importantsteptowards becoming a global brand.

FC Barcelona teams areestimatedtoreach out tomore than1 billionpeopleworldwide.Lassa will keep in touch withthis1 billion FC Barcelonafan basefor 4 seasonsthrough thispartnership.Camp Nouand Palau Blaugranafacilities are visited bymore than6million people every season,whowill meet with Lassa. TheClub is the most followedsports Clubin social media globally. FC Barcelona has a totalreachof200million fans onitscombinedsocial media accounts.

(Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150914/266061)

(Photo:http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20150914/266062)

The details of the global partnership agreement between Brisa, Europe's 7th largest tyre manufacturer and owner of the Lassa Tyres brand, and FC Barcelona were unveiled on September 14th in Barcelona. The meeting took place in the Ricard Maxenchs pressroom at the Camp Nou. It was attended by FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu, FC Barcelona VP and Head of Marketing and Communication Area, Manel Arroyo, Brisa Board Member Hakan Bayman and Brisa General Manager YiÄŸit Gürçay as well as the captains of each of the professional sections.

Lassa Tyres became the "Official Tyre Partner of FC Barcelona" as of this season. The new season kits for indoor teams were also unveiled at the launch event. World famous FC Barcelona Lassa stars of the Club's basketball, handball, futsal and roller hockey teams, Juan Carlos Navarro, Víctor Tomàs, Paco Sedano and Aitor Egurrola, wore the new jerseys for the first time. The indoor teams will be officially named "FC Barcelona Lassa" for the next four seasons.

1billion reachworldwide

FC Barcelona teams are estimated to have 1 billion reach out worldwide. FC Barcelona Lassa teams have the widest global fan base after the football branch. FC Barcelona Lassa basketball, handball, futsal and roller hockey teams are supported by more than 16 million fans in total at Facebook. Camp Nou and Palau Blaugrana are visited by 6 million people every season. On average, an audience of 5,000 attends the matches in Palau Blaugrana every week.

FC Barcelona LassaBasketball team's first European match scheduled in Turkey

FC Barcelona Lassa Basketball team will compete against another Lassa sponsored team, Turkish champions Pinar KarÅŸiyaka, in Group C of 2015-16 Euroleague Regular Season. FC Barcelona Lassa Basketball team will travel to Turkey on October 15th for its first European match in Izmir Halkapinar Arena.

With this partnership deal of four years, Lassa Tyres made history by becoming the first Turkish brand to undertake the global title partnership of all indoor sports teams of a club. While the Club's indoor sports teams will be named as "FC Barcelona Lassa", this agreement also makes Lassa Tyres the "Official Tyre Partner of FC Barcelona" until 30 June 2019.

Brisa Board MemberHakan Baymansaid:"Lassa, the brand of Brisa, a joint venture of Bridgestone Corporation and Sabanci Holding, is defined as the most sincere tyre brand of Turkey. The FC Barcelona partnership is an important step in Lassa's journey towards becoming a global brand. FC Barcelona has a strong and loving fan base in Turkey. The Club's approach for sustainable success, its traditional club values, academy culture, its civic engagement actions and social activities set an iconic example in the world of the sports industry. First and foremost, this partnership agreement between Lassa and FC Barcelona should be viewed as a unity of vision. This partnership agreement represents the amalgamation of the principles of respect, ambition, teamwork, effort and humility summarized in FC Barcelona's 'More Than a Club' motto, with the sustainability vision of Brisa and Lassa Tyres' brand positioning. I believe that with this agreement an interconnected unity of values came about, extending from Brisa to Lassa and from Lassa to FC Barcelona, and vice versa."

Brisa General Manager YiÄŸit Gürçay said:"Lassa Tyres, a brand which was born in Turkey, now reaches out to vehicle owners and drivers in almost 70 countries worldwide, available at 5,000 points of sale. Out of these countries, where our brand is sold, Spain is an important market for us. The FC Barcelona partnership is a significant step forward for Lassa Tyres to reach out vehicle owners and drivers worldwide. We are excited to connect Lassa Tyres brand with the Club's fan base which represents more than a billion people worldwide and 25,000 audiences who visit Palau Blaugrana on average every month. We value such positive engagement of FC Barcelona's loyal fan base with Lassa brand, some of who maybe will meet our brand for the first time, greatly as such engagement will further strengthen our brand in its global journey ahead."

FC Barcelona President Josep Maria Bartomeu said:"'A clear commitment to the Club's multisport philosophy.'With this agreement with Lassa Tyres we have achieved an objective that was a long time in the making by obtaining a global sponsor for FC Barcelona's professional sections. This sponsorship is a boost for our teams and demonstrates our clear commitment towards strengthening the Club's multisport philosophy. This sponsorship will allow us to extend our presence not only to Turkey, a country where the Club evokes admiration and draws more fans every day, but also worldwide."

Vice President of FC Barcelona Manel Arroyo said:"'This agreement forms part of the strategic plan to expand the Club's presence around the world.'This agreement is further proof of the Club's internationalization and is part of our strategy to expand FC Barcelona's presence worldwide. Our chosen partner, Lassa Tyres, is a brand that shares our commitment to having a global presence. Moreover, the Turkish market is key for us according to data that situate Barça as the most followed football club in the country. This sponsorship will also reaffirm our ties with Turkey, where we already have other important sponsors, and will bring us closer to the country's fans."

Media Information:
Aysegul Seferoglu
Effect PR - Burson Marsteller Turkey
Mobile: [phone] ext: 116
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