American billionaires' interest in British football clubs has been growing in recent years. Fenway Sports Group is poised to net a chunky return on investment from selling a minority stake in Liverpool FC. CNBC explores how soccer has become such an attractive asset class in the eyes of investors.
American ownership of Premier League clubs has steadily increased over the past several years. What began with the Glazer family's takeover of Manchester United in 2005 has proliferated to American control of 11 of the 20 current Premier League sides.
Growing American interest in the league is evident not just in broadcast viewing figures and social media hype — but increasingly in boardrooms, too. Smaller clubs have also attracted the interest of American celebrities. From Ryan Reynolds and Rob McElhenney's fairy tale acquisition of a fifth-tier Welsh team captured by the "Welcome to Wrexham" TV series in 2020, to Snoop Dogg's investment in second-division side Swansea City this year.
In October 2010, John W Henry's Fenway Sports Group saw an opportunity. They could rescue Liverpool Football Club from the brink of administration for a cut-price fee of £300 million. Almost 16 years later, the Boston-based group is poised to net an enormous return on investment after FSG confirmed it is in talks with a syndicate of investors, led by British-Indian entrepreneur Amit Bhatia, to offload a significant minority stake in the club.
The deal is believed to value Liverpool at $6 billion and is the culmination of a remarkable turnaround effort that saw the club restored to its former glory, winning two Premier League trophies and one European Champions League title under FSG's tenure as its financial backer.
Football clubs are a rare asset, and the rewards for success in the English Premier League can be lucrative. In the 2024-25 season, Premier League clubs pocketed over £3.3 billion in TV revenues, according to Deloitte.
