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Everton owners The Friedkin Group are reportedly in talks to buy a new team and it could net Fenway Sports Group a significant windfall.
Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) could be in line for a significant windfall - and it would be courtesy of their counterparts across Stanley Park.
FSG boast an impressive multi-club portfolio. They have been in charge of the Reds since 2010, with eight major trophies being won in that time - and a potential second Premier League crown being added to the Anfield trophy cabinet this season. Arne Slot’s side sit 12 points clear at the summit of the table.
What other teams do Fenway Sports Group own?
Meanwhile, John Henry & Co. have been at the helm of the iconic Major League Baseball team the Boston Red Sox since 2002, while they have been in growth mode in recent years. In December 2021, they purchased National Hockey League side the Pittsburgh Penguins for a reported $900 million.
FSG have had to wait for success at the Penguins so far and it appears they will miss out on the play-offs this season. The Boston-based firm are reportedly exploring a minority sale of the Pennsylvania-based outfit which would needed to be approved by the NHL board of governors.
Still, ice hockey is a highly-popular sport in North America, with a report by the Associated Press in April 2024suggesting that viewership has increased by seven per cent and arenas have been at an average of 97 per cent capacity. While the NHL is behind the NFL, NBA and MLB in terms of overall revenue per year, there is a suggestion that ‘$10 billion is attainable before the end of the decade’.
NHL potential expansion
To achieve such a figure, the league could continue to expand. In 2017, the Vegas Golden Knights were founded while the Seattle Kraken were formed four years later to take the NHL from 30 to 32 teams. But there are ongoing talks for the number of teams to increase yet again to 34 outfits.
One of the parties who the NHL have been in discussions with are The Friedkin Group (TFG) - owners of Everton. The Texas-based firm completed their takeover of the Toffees in December, while they have held the keys to Italian side AS Roma since August 2020. In addition, TFG were one of the unsuccessful bidders to purchase NBA team the Boston Celtics last week.
However, multiple reports in the USA have suggested that the NHL have been talking to TFG - headed by billionaire Dan Friedkin - over a possible deal to create a new franchise in Houston - the largest metropolis in Texas. Deputy commissioner Bill Daly told ESPNthat they’ve negotiated with TFG ‘on a number of occasions about potential interest in a Houston expansion franchise’.
Leading sports agent Allan Walsh has suggested on X that an expansion fee would cost up to $1.5 billion (£1.16 billion). That figure would then be shared equally across the current 32 teams’ owners. As a result, FSG would get a slice that equates to around $48 million (£37 million) if a Houston team was to cost the number projected.