fb

Liverpool win after an own goal by Adidas.

Liverpool win after an own goal by Adidas.

Forget about the rivalry on the pitch between Manchester United and Liverpool. Forget about Luis Suarez refusing to shake hands with Patrice Evra at the game on Saturday.

No, the key question is who has got the biggest kit sponsorship deal in the world.

Manchester United’s kit is sponsored by Nike and until recently it was the largest kit sponsorship deal in the world. Liverpool however has just announced a new kit sponsorship deal which exceeds the Nike deal and makes it the biggest football shirt sponsorship deal in the world.

Liverpool’s kit used to be sponsored by Adidas but Adidas lost out in the new bid for sponsorship to American Sports Group Warrior Sports (who own the New Balance sports brand).

Adidas felt that Liverpool’s form over the last few years in the English Premier League hadn’t been that good and as a result didn’t bid as much for the sponsorship deal.

Warrior Sports though seem to have taken the view that Liverpool is a global brand as opposed to merely an English football club.

Liverpool FC has immense brand power overseas. Especially in Asia and the sales of their replica shirts are estimated to be nearly 900,000 a year.

There’s also an interesting observation in that their main sponsor of the shirt (as opposed to the kit supplier) is Standard Chartered.

The Standard Chartered bank isn’t present in the UK and therefore the bank’s sponsorship of the Liverpool shirt clearly isn’t aimed at the UK market but rather at the Asian, African and Middle Eastern markets where Liverpool have a strong following and Standard Chartered have a strong presence.

So, well done Warrior Sports for seeing the global appeal of the Liverpool brand.

As for Adidas, have they just kicked the ball into their own net?

Share this entry

Recent articles

View All Articles
Uber’s growing but why did its share price fall?
Feb 05, 2025
Title
Uber’s growing but why did its share price fall?
Excerpt

Uber Technologies Inc. has firmly established itself as a global leader in mobility services. Despite facing regulatory challenges […]

Stadiums, sponsorships and success: the evolution of football finances
Jan 24, 2025
Title
Stadiums, sponsorships and success: the evolution of football finances
Excerpt

The Deloitte Football Money League (DFML) is an annual publication that tracks and profiles the highest revenue-generating football […]

Waxing lyrical: Barbour’s £30M payday
Jan 22, 2025
Title
Waxing lyrical: Barbour’s £30M payday
Excerpt

With a fanbase that includes members of the Royal Family and leading music stars, Barbour coats have become […]

Harry Potter star’s gin goes global
Jan 18, 2025
Title
Harry Potter star’s gin goes global
Excerpt

When most people think of Emma Watson, they probably think of her as Hermione Granger in the Harry […]

How’s your lipstick?
Jan 15, 2025
Title
How’s your lipstick?
Excerpt

In the world of business, understanding consumer behavior is key. The “lipstick effect” looks at the interplay between […]

Retire or Re-Tie? : marriage for older people
Jan 08, 2025
Title
Retire or Re-Tie? : marriage for older people
Excerpt

Marriage trends have been shifting for decades. Whilst overall marriage rates have dipped by more than 20 percent […]

How to impress over a business lunch…
Jan 06, 2025
Title
How to impress over a business lunch…
Excerpt

Picture the scene. You’ve got an important business lunch coming up. You want to make a good impression […]

Comparing the Top 5 ACCA Platinum Online Course Providers
Jan 04, 2025
Title
Comparing the Top 5 ACCA Platinum Online Course Providers
Excerpt

If you’re looking to excel in your ACCA studies, choosing an ACCA Platinum Approved Learning Partner is a […]