Liverpool mulls naming rights deal for new ground

Liverpool Football Club is understood to have become the latest English club to consider selling naming rights after the club indicated it would consider a stadium partner for its proposed new ground.

Liverpool Football Club
Liverpool Football Club

The club’s owners are reportedly looking to sell the rights for a world record £250m to help fund the building of any new stadium.

Liverpool’s co-owner, Tom Hicks is reported to believe that any naming rights deal for Liverpool’s new stadium would outstrip the £225m Barclays is understood to be paying the New Jersey Nets basketball team when it moves to its new stadium in 2011.

It would also better the £12m over 20 years Citigroup has reportedly paid the New York Mets to sponsor its recently opened new stadium.

Hicks says the global appeal of the Premier League and the worldwide support Liverpool enjoys would help the club command a higher amount than US franchises, whose TV appeal is mainly restricted to the States.

The club recently signed a shirt sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered reportedly worth £80m over four years.

The news comes a week after it was revealed that Chelsea announced it was considering selling the naming rights to its Stamford Bridge stadium in a bid to compete financially with Europe’s top sides.

The West London club said it is looking for a “blue chip” brand for a long-term partnership of up to 10 years

Newcastle United announced last week that its home ground will be named after owner Mike Ashley retail chain until the end of the season. The club hopes changing the stadium’s name to sportsdirect.com@St James’ Park will “showcase” it to potential sponsors.