"Hello, Daniel."
In a luxurious VIP box at the Amazon Stadium, Gao Shen had just walked in when he saw the bald man in front of him and immediately greeted him with a smile.
"Hi, Gao, it's great to see you again." Daniel Ek quickly stepped forward to greet him, shook his hand, and gave him a warm hug, looking like old friends who hadn't seen each other in a long time.
In fact, they had only met a few times before and weren't very close.
After all, they came from completely different fields.
Gao Shen was a prominent figure in the football world, while Daniel was the CEO of Spotify, the world's largest streaming music platform. On the surface, the two had no connection.
But football brought them together.
"How was it? What did you think of tonight's match?" Gao Shen asked with a smile, pointing to the basketball court outside the private suite.
"It was amazing!" Daniel said with excitement. "You know, I've watched a lot of games in Europe, and I've been to the US to see events like the NBA and the Super Bowl. But honestly, the atmosphere and facilities in your stadium are the best."
Gao Shen nodded with a smile. "Thank you for the compliment."
"Really, American stadiums feel too fragmented, unlike football stadiums where the stands are tightly knit. With the angle of the stands here, the sound flows down from every direction. It's absolutely stunning."
"And the roof design is beautiful and practical. The acoustics are incredible. My only impression here is this: the best professional match, the best professional team, the best stadium."
Coming from a musician, his way of praising was quite unique.
Daniel's enthusiastic compliments made Gao Shen feel a bit embarrassed, and he quickly thanked him.
In fact, almost everyone who came to the Amazon Stadium for a match had nothing but praise for it.
"I've made up my mind. I'm going to rent a box here long-term, but you have to promise me one thing."
"Go ahead."
"Change the nameplate on my box to 'Potian's Friends'."
Gao Shen immediately burst into laughter.
Lucas and the others behind him also chuckled.
This was clearly a playful jab at Amazon.
Everyone knew that in the digital music space, Spotify was the clear number one, followed by Apple Music, then YouTube and Amazon. They were all competitors.
Having a private box named "Potian's Friends" in a stadium sponsored by Amazon would definitely make headlines.
"You're putting us in a tough spot," Gao Shen said, smiling and waving his hand. "How about this, I'll make the call myself. We'll say it's for Daniel and his friends. If you're sure, I'll try to get you one."
"Really?" Daniel asked. "Fernando just told me all the boxes are booked for the next three years. I only want this one. I'm very happy with it."
Gao Shen smiled. "This one belongs to a banker friend of mine from Cheshire. He booked it for five years straight."
But he quickly changed the subject. "However, since you've asked, I'll see what I can do."
"Alright, thanks, Gao!" Daniel looked very pleased.
...
After chatting for a while in the private box, Gao Shen and Lucas left together, leaving the Leeds United business department to entertain Daniel and his team.
Leeds United had specifically invited them to watch the Champions League final at the stadium.
The purpose was clear: the two sides were in talks for a major collaboration.
"How's the negotiation going?" Gao Shen asked as they stepped out of the suite.
Lucas followed closely behind. "We've basically finalized everything. As long as we win the Champions League, there won't be any issues. Plus, they're worried we might go back to Apple or Amazon."
He couldn't help but laugh at the end.
Leeds United was in high demand. After years of development, the club had become an internet sensation and was now the biggest online presence in the football world. Their influence continued to grow.
The timing couldn't have been better. Leeds United's shirt sponsorship deal had just expired.
Apple had shown strong interest in sponsoring the team, mainly through its Apple Music platform, which the company had been heavily promoting.
For example, they had recently signed major sponsorships with the NBA and the Super Bowl.
Amazon Music was also eyeing the opportunity to sponsor Leeds United. Their previous collaborations had gone well, including the long-term stadium naming rights deal.
Upon hearing this, Spotify immediately reached out to Leeds United and expressed a strong desire to expand their partnership. They proposed integrating Spotify's music streaming platform into the Amazon Stadium and embedding their service into Leeds United's official app.
Previously, the collaboration between Leeds United and Amazon focused more on shopping, video, and internet promotions. Music had not been a priority back then, so this new Spotify proposal wouldn't interfere with the existing partnership.
Most importantly, Spotify had offered a jaw-dropping 70 million euros per year in sponsorship.
An astronomical amount.
If the deal went through, Leeds United would have the fourth-highest shirt sponsorship in European football, behind only Manchester City, Real Madrid, and Manchester United. This would be a massive boost for the club's commercial growth.
Of course, this wasn't just about shirt sponsorship. The key was comprehensive collaboration on internet-based platforms, including integration with Leeds United's app and other digital services.
The vision behind the deal was to connect music and football, building a global community and creating an interactive platform for fans and artists.
"From what Daniel just told me, they're planning to spend $250 million to acquire The Rger, a sports and pop culture website. They're also buying a series of apps like Lo, a sports-focused audio social platform. Their ambition is huge."
Walking side by side, Lucas gave his analysis.
"It's simple. Sports fans have extremely high loyalty and engagement. That's why both video and music platforms value them so much," Gao Shen said.
More importantly, sports were one of the most popular social activities globally.
A previous global sports marketing report had shown that 81% of respondents fully or partially trusted brand sponsors in sporting events.
This proved that football, as the world's most popular sport, still had untapped potential in terms of sponsorship. What we were seeing now was only the beginning.
"Sort it out quickly," Gao Shen instructed.
Lucas nodded immediately.
...
With Leeds United winning both the Premier League and the Champions League this season, their revenue was bound to hit new heights.
Just from the Premier League broadcasting revenue alone, the club earned £150 million. Add Champions League match and broadcast income, along with matchday earnings, and the total from these three sources alone reached nearly £400 million.
On top of that, the club's commercial performance had also reached a new peak this season.
Preliminary estimates suggested that Leeds United's total revenue could surpass that of Manchester City, Paris Saint-Germain, and Bayern Munich, reaching €700 million. That would still fall short of Real Madrid, Barcelona, and Manchester United.
But it was still incredible.
Especially considering that just eight years ago, Leeds United was still a Championship side. In that short span, they had transformed into one of the top-earning clubs in European football, and they continued to grow rapidly.
A deeper analysis showed that Leeds United's core revenue, excluding seasonal fluctuations in performance, would consistently rank in the top five in Europe.
This didn't even include transfer income.
Over the years, many media outlets had questioned Leeds United's financial reports for one specific reason: they never listed transfer revenue separately.
The club had sold many players, but how much money did they actually bring in?
Leeds United's financial statements didn't make it clear.
This wasn't unique to Leeds United. Many clubs had similar issues.
For example, some teams spent big on players but amortized those costs across several years, making it hard to pinpoint exact figures.
The rumors of tens or hundreds of millions in spending were just that—rumors, with no hard proof.
The main reason was that Leeds United was privately owned. If it were a joint-stock or member-owned club like Real Madrid or Barcelona, more detailed financial disclosure would be required.
Of course, even Real Madrid and Barcelona had their ways of manipulating financial reports.
Otherwise, why would Rosell have ended his own life?
...
When Gao Shen returned to the stands at Amazon Stadium, the awards ceremony was about to begin.
Upon seeing him, UEFA President Ceferin immediately waved him over and invited him to join in presenting the medals to the champions and runners-up.
Guardiola and his Manchester City team were first on stage. Most of the players were familiar faces to Gao Shen, and after they met, there were handshakes, hugs, and a few friendly words of comfort.
When the Leeds United players stepped onto the stage, the entire stadium erupted.
The live broadcast cameras zoomed in on Gao Shen standing beside Ceferin, capturing every moment of his interaction with the players. The fans inside the stadium responded with thunderous applause.
This was Leeds United's first-ever Champions League title.
Who knew when they might win another?
Maybe in the future, with talents like Haaland emerging, Leeds United would have another shot.
But until then, it was best to keep their heads down and stay humble.
Of course, the club's goal wasn't just to get through the group stage, but to push into the quarterfinals and beyond.
As for winning the title, that depended on fate.
When captain Jamie Vardy received the Champions League trophy from Ceferin and raised it high, cannons fired across the stadium and the fans roared in celebration.
Outside Elland Road, the Leeds United fans watching on the big screen were also shouting and cheering at the top of their lungs.
(To be continued.)