Liverpool FC become latest club to look at crypto firms as shirt sponsors
Liverpool FC are believed to be lining up a cryptocurrency company in a shirt sponsor deal worth more than £70 million.
The Premier League title-chasing club’s deal with current sponsors Standard Chartered ends next season and, while an option is on the table for the finance giants to land another season on the front of the first team shirts, Standard bosses could be put off by a potential bidding war.
Standard Chartered is understood to be paying around £40m for its current deal, but the high-flying Anfield outfit’s success in the league, Champions League and both FA and League Cup this term has done enough to warrant raising the price by at least £30m. It would put the value above league rivals Manchester City’s £67m shirt deal.
According to The Athletic, Liverpool’s commercial chiefs are keen to capitalise on a big-money annual revenue stream that hasn’t been renewed since 2018 by engaging with a number of crypto firms, as well as several other suitors.
Despite cryptocurrency making giant leaps into sports sponsorship over the last 12 months, the reception so far from the six-time European Cup holders has been somewhat lukewarm.
A few weeks ago, the club launched their first NFT collection, but only managed to sell a paltry five per cent of the exclusive digital artworks.
Current rumblings inside Anfield also reveal any kind of fan token has been kicked into the long grass and certainly won’t be entertained this year.
The club’s hierarchy is expected to announce its 2023 jersey sponsor before next season kicks off.