New England Sports Ventures announces that it has completed the purchase of Liverpool Football Club. NESV wishes to extend its sincere gratitude to the Board of Liverpool FC for their diligence and their efforts on behalf of the Club and its supporters.
The transaction values the Club at £300m and eliminates all of the acquisition debt placed on LFC by its previous owners, reducing the Club’s debt servicing obligations from £25m-£30m a year to £2m-£3m.
New England Sports Ventures is committed to winning and currently owns a portfolio of companies, including the Boston Red Sox, New England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Roush Fenway Racing.
NESV principal owner John Henry said:
“On behalf of the entire NESV partnership, I want to express how incredibly proud and humbled we are to be confirmed as the new owners of Liverpool FC. We regard our role as that of stewards for the Club with a primary focus on returning the Club to greatness on and off the field for the long-term. We are committed first and foremost to winning. We have a history of winning, and today we want LFC supporters to know that this approach is what we intend to bring to this great Club.”
Liverpool FC chairman Martin Broughton said:
“I am delighted that we have been able to successfully conclude the sale process which has been thorough and extensive. The Board decided to accept NESV’s offer on the basis that it best met the criteria we set out originally for a new owner. NESV is buying Liverpool in order to put it on an excellent financial footing and continue to develop it internationally. This is a good deal which comprehensively resolves the pressing issue of the Club’s debt and should give staff, players and fans great confidence regarding the future of Liverpool FC.”
NESV chairman Thomas Werner said:
“We recognize that Liverpool Football Club is an historic institution ultimately grounded in the community and the fans. Our first step as new owners will be to listen. We want to hear from the Manager and the players and those who are part of the daily operation of the Club. We will be visible at Anfield and will embrace and listen to those who have stood by this Club and who are the rock on which its future success will be built. We want to hear from the fans, local leaders and the local community. We want to hear from those who know LFC best, who have made it the best and share our desire to return to a culture of winning.
“NESV is committed to creating a long-term, financially strong foundation for the Club and dedicated to ensuring the Club has the financial resources to be successful again and attract the best players. To that end, the transaction has been structured in such a way as to eliminate all of the acquisition debt on the Club.
“In the coming days and months, NESV will work closely with the LFC executive team to listen and learn about every facet of the organization. During this time, the new owners will begin to look at areas for greatest opportunity to increase the appeal of the Club nationally and internationally. NESV wants to once again create a culture and environment to allow people to excel at the Club on every front. During this period, NESV will also begin to examine opportunities to enhance the matchday experience in the short-term, while also carefully studying the various long-term options that may be possible.”
Henry and Werner added:
“We are eager to commence with our plan, spend time with the organization, its leadership, its supporters, and the local communities. We will take these steps alongside the Club’s executives with a shared objective of stabilizing the Club and ultimately returning Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and European football, successful and competing for trophies.”
Background on NESV
Created in 2001, New England Sports Ventures is one of the largest sports, media and entertainment companies in the world with a proven track record of success for each of its subsidiaries. NESV’s portfolio of companies includes: 100 percent of the Boston Red Sox, a Major League Baseball club; 80 percent of New England Sports Network, a regional sports television network; 100 percent of Fenway Sports Group, a sales and marketing company; and 50 percent of Roush Fenway Racing, a NASCAR racing team.
NESV is led by principal owner John Henry and chairman Tom Werner, who collectively have more than 30 years of experience as owners in Major League Baseball. This ownership group has been voted as the best in MLB by the readers of the Sports Business Journal in each of the past two years, and in 2009, Sports Illustrated selected this group as the number one ownership group in MLB.
NESV Achievements
From 2002 through 2009, the Boston Red Sox have had the second highest regular season winning percentage in MLB, have qualified for the postseason in a club record six of the past seven seasons, and have won more postseason games and World Series championships than any other club. In addition to a commitment to winning, NESV has made a significant investment into extensive improvements to Fenway Park, resulting in additional seating, more concourse space, expanded concessions options, and an overall enhancement to the Fenway Park fan experience. The Red Sox have also been deeply committed to supporting the community. Since 2002, the Red Sox Foundation has donated more than $38 million to worthy charitable programs throughout New England, and the team through its community relations efforts has given away more than 27,000 autographed items and Fenway experiences to be used in fundraising efforts, and has helped facilitate more than 4,000 player and alumni appearances in the community.
New England Sports Network had the highest-rated MLB games for the past six seasons from 2004 through 2009, and in 2009 delivered the highest television household ratings among all regional sports networks in the United States. NESN has also created a large amount of unique and original television content and is at the forefront of the industry in terms of digital media.
In addition to assisting with sponsorship sales for both the Red Sox and NESN, Fenway Sports Group serves as the exclusive sales agency for other tier one properties and brands such as Major League Baseball Advanced Media, Boston College, and the Deutsche Bank Championship PGA Tour event; helping many of its clients grow sponsorship revenues by more than 20 percent annually. FSG also manages all non-baseball events hosted at Fenway Park, including the hockey events centered around the 2010 NHL Winter Classic, the Fenway Football Challenge, and major concerts. FSG provides specialized sports business consulting services for other professional sports teams, assisting the Miami Dolphins in selling the naming rights deal for Sun Life Stadium.
Roush Fenway Racing is one of NASCAR’s premier racing teams and has won 32 championships and more than 360 races in drag racing, sports car and stock car racing; as well as five championships across NASCAR’s three premier series.
John Henry, principal owner
Henry’s background includes finance and agriculture, and he is a former limited partner of the New York Yankees and sole owner of the Florida Marlins. He is in the Futures Hall of Fame. He sits on the Executive Council of MLB and manages the Roush Fenway Racing relationship. He is an active board member of Major League Baseball Advanced Media (MLBAM) and specializes in digital media issues. Henry is passionate about soccer and lives in Boston, Massachusetts, and Boca Raton, Florida.
Tom Werner, chairman
Werner’s background includes Harvard, ABC and Carsey-Werner, and he is the former owner of the San Diego Padres. He produced some of the biggest hit series in television history such as The Cosby Show, Roseanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun and That 70’s Show. His primary responsibility within NESV is the New England Sports Network (NESN). Werner maintains a residence in Los Angeles and Boston and is passionate about the business of sports.
