A Financial Win For Liverpool

Liverpool land Premier League record £25m-a-year kit deal - Goal.com

Signing with an unknown (at least in football) brand apparently has its benefits.  Having gone to a lacrosse-mad college (Johns Hopkins) in a lacrosse-mad town (Baltimore) I've heard of Warrior Sports from their core lacrosse business.  I wouldn't have guessed that they'd try to make the leap into football but it sounds like parent New Balance is looking to a relationship with John Henry and Fenway Sports Group to elevate themselves beyond their current niche in running and lacrosse via Warrior.  It will be interesting to see what happens with Warrior Sports next. 

From a Liverpool standpoint, this can be seen as nothing but a huge win.  Nearly doubling the revenue that the shirt sponsorship brings in looks like it will mean the equivalent of a very nice player transfer per season for the duration of the deal.  £12 to £13 million won't sign you a superstar player but it will certainly allow you to sign an extra Gary Cahill-type player at the back or perhaps an above average left back with some money left over for a wide player.  And it means you have the financial flexibility to do that one additional time EACH YEAR compared to what they were looking at with a renewal of their deal with adidas - presumably at similar terms.

Interesting way to get the summer started.

2 comments:

  1. Anonymous1:23 PM

    Actually, "Warrior Sports" is the latest incarnation of "Brine" - a company that, at least in the US, sells a LOT of footballs. Their balls were the official match balls for almost all college and high school matches until they got outbid as the official NCAA match ball a year or two ago.

    Maybe it was cheaper to do the deal with 'Pool?

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  2. Excellent note - didn't know that was what had become of Brine - just saw Warrior Sports showing up on the Hopkins/Lacrosse ads I inevitably get from the old alma mater (and those people who they sell my name to as part of some list or another).

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