Liverpool FC is one of global football’s most storied clubs, with roots that trace back 130-plus years, a historic home at Anfield, and a trophy case that rivals almost any team. One missing piece: raising the Premier League trophy in front of fans.
The drought ends Sunday when Liverpool wraps its EPL season at home against Crystal Palace. The Fenway Sports Group-owned club will finally hoist the trophy for the title clinched four weeks ago. The team’s only other league title since the Premier League launched in 1992 was the 2019-20 season, when fans were barred from the final games due to COVID-19 restrictions.
“I think there was a sense of we’re going to make up for lost time here and the previous win, and make sure that this is a party that goes on for many, many weeks,” Ben Latty, Liverpool chief commercial officer, said in a video interview.
Latty says fans get “three bites of the cherry” to celebrate, with the April clincher against Tottenham Hotspur, Sunday’s trophy raise and Monday’s parade in Liverpool. The title is the 20th first-division league title all time for Liverpool, tying Manchester United for the most in England. Arsenal is third at 13.
The winning makes Latty’s job easier. “We talk about this virtuous circle that we have at the club,” Latty said. “Commercial success drives football success, and football success drives commercial success.”
Two-thirds of Liverpool’s $773 million in 2023-24 revenue was from “controllable” streams, including matchday ($128 million) and commercial ($389 million). Broadcasting ($257 million) is more variable, based on league performance and European competition. “We have to make sure that we are to some extent agnostic [to on-field performance] and build a strong foundation to make sure we can continue to fund the on-pitch success.”
Part of that foundation has been built in the U.S. from cultivating a fan and corporate base. LFC has 67 official Liverpool supporters groups across 35 states, and merchandise sales in the U.S. are the second highest behind the U.K. market. Liverpool’s 2024 summer tour included games in full stadiums in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia and Columbia, S.C.
More than half of Liverpool’s partners are headquartered in the U.S., including Nike, Coca-Cola, Expedia and UPS. Latty credits NBC’s Premier League coverage for helping foster the U.S. audience. “If you’re looking to associate with a sport that has truly global presence and profile, the Premier League football is certainly No. 1 on that list,” Latty said.
Liverpool’s parent, FSG, also has deep ties in the U.S. through its ownership of MLB’s Boston Red Sox, NHL’s Pittsburgh Penguins and NASCAR’s RFK Racing. FSG’s marketing arm, Fenway Sports Management, also serves as a connector for the teams. Latty points to Wasabi Technologies as a Red Sox partner that activated with Liverpool when looking for a more global presence.
FSG, which holds concerts at Fenway Park, has helped LFC launch its concert business at Anfield, generating more revenue for the club. The first shows were in 2018, and after a COVID-19 break, they have ramped up again with a trio of Taylor Swift shows last year, plus two from Pink. This June, Bruce Springsteen, Dua Lipa and Lana Del Rey are all slated to perform at Anfield.
This summer, Liverpool heads to Asia for its preseason tour. The continent is home to 237 million of its 431 million fans, according to the club. It’s also a critical market for the team’s sponsors. Standard Chartered has been Liverpool’s jersey partner for 15 years and is based in London, but Asia is their biggest market. Latty said playing a game in Hong Kong is a “huge positive” for the partnership. Japan Airlines is a new partner, and the airline will take the team to Asia. The summer tour includes a game at Nissan Stadium in Yokohama, Japan.
Another opportunity for Liverpool is in the women’s game. “Over the past two or three years, we’ve noticed a significant difference when we’re speaking to companies about potential deals or renewals, that the women’s team is very much within that conversation,” Latty said.
Liverpool bills itself as “two teams, one club,” and Latty said that moving forward, there are not individual sponsorships for the women’s team. Brands interested in the women’s team are asked to support the men’s team and vice versa. In 2023, the club re-purchased its former men’s training ground for $17 million to serve as the women’s training center.
The value of the club has soared since John Henry led a group that paid $476 million in 2010 for the club. Liverpool ranked fourth in Sportico‘s soccer team valuations at $5.59 billion.
Liverpool was a relative longshot to win the league crown entering the season. Legendary manager Jürgen Klopp retired after the 2023-24 season, and Manchester City and Arsenal were the overwhelming betting favorites to win this year’s crown.
Liverpool and its fans can enjoy this Sunday, while a scrum of teams fight to secure the final spots in the 2025-26 European competitions that offer increased prize money payouts.
The Premier League is more competitive than ever—see Manchester United and Tottenham just above the relegation line. The EPL has the greatest variation of title winners (five) of any of the major European leagues over the past 15 seasons. “It makes it such an attractive league worldwide that anyone, any week, can beat anyone,” Latty said.
He relished the club clinching the title with games to spare. “Relief would be the one word,” he said. “It’s been a long, long season.”