Liverpool looks to Standard Chartered to help global expansion
Liverpool is to end its 17-year association with Carlsberg after signing a four-year shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered Bank.
The Premier League club says the sponsorship, which starts next season and is reported to be worth about £80m, will help the club extend its global reach.
Christian Purslow, the club’s managing director, says Standard has operations in places around the world “where we have a long-term plan to increase the family of Liverpool fans”.
“Many branches in these countries will effectively be a shop window for Liverpool Football Club and a means of attracting more supporters to the cause,” he says.
Liverpool will be hoping the deal helps them match the global appeal of Premier League rivals Manchester United who have long been considered the benchmark for English clubs looking to widen their worldwide fan base.
United have partnerships with brands around the world and recently opened a chain of branded cafes in India.
The end of Carlsberg’s relationship with Liverpool has been rumoured for several months. The beer brand recently extended its sponsorship deal with the Football Association which saw the beer brand continue as the ‘Official Beer’ of both the England team and The FA Cup.
