Liverpool’s club owners have been Fenway Sports Group (FSG) since 2010. Tom Hicks and George Gillett ended their brief tenure at Anfield by selling to John W Henry’s American sports conglomerate giant.
FSG are open to taking on minority investment into the Premier League team today after ruling out a full sale. While its ownership of the Merseyside outfit has returned the club to winning ways and led to vast redevelopment projects. The Reds have rebuilt Anfield and moved to a new training ground.
When did FSG become the owners of Liverpool?
Henry’s FSG became the owners of Liverpool from Hicks and Gillett in October 2010 under the name New England Sports Ventures (NESV). The sports conglomerate, created in 2001, switched names in March 2011 to better reflect its global nature after buying the Anfield outfit from the American duo.
Hicks and Gillett ended their three-and-a-half-year tenure on Merseyside for £300m amid an array of protests by supporters, per The Guardian. Fans were in uproar as the Reds dealt with debts reaching £200m. The team were also sat in the Premier League relegation zone at the time of FSG’s takeover.
Liverpool’s first transfer window under FSG’s ownership in January 2011 saw Fernando Torres leave for Chelsea in a £50m deal. While Luis Suarez and Andy Carroll arrived on Merseyside from Ajax and Newcastle United for £22.5m and £35m respectively. Carroll’s move was also a club-record fee then.
Hicks and Gillett failed to oversee a single trophy during their brief ownership of Liverpool. But FSG came close to winning a maiden Premier League title under manager Brendan Rodgers in 2013/14. Yet Suarez left for Barcelona in July 2014 for £75m and Jurgen Klopp later replaced Rodgers in 2015.
FSG also began redeveloping Anfield in 2015 with Liverpool building a new, three-tier Main Stand to increase the stadium’s capacity to 54,000. Klopp’s work rebuilding the squad would pay dividends in 2018 as the Reds reached the Champions League final. But Real Madrid won the UEFA showcase 3-1.
Liverpool have continued redeveloping Anfield over the following years and have also returned to lifting trophies. But to stay competitive, FSG now welcomes minority investment into the club, via the Liverpool Echo. The American sports conglomerate remains devoted to the team’s long-term future.
What have Liverpool won since FSG became the club’s owners?
Reaching the 2017/18 Champions League final marked the start of a new dominant era for Liverpool. The Reds returned to the UEFA showcase match 12 months later and beat Tottenham Hotspur 2-0 to claim their sixth European Cup. It also marked the Reds’ first time lifting the UEFA trophy since 2005.
Klopp would then backup Liverpool’s Champions League title by overseeing the club’s first top-flight title in 30 years in 2019/20. The German ended the Reds’ 30-year wait by pipping Manchester City to the crown with 99 points. The tally remains the second-most ever secured in a Premier League term.
Injuries decimated Liverpool’s title defence and hopes to compete across the board in 2020/21. But the Merseyside outfit returned in 2021/22 and finished as runners-up to Manchester City by a single point for the Premier League. They would also win the English Football League Cup and the FA Cup.
Liverpool had not won the EFL Cup since 2011/12 before the Reds edged Chelsea 11-10 on penalties after a 0-0 draw. The clubs would meet at Wembley once again in the FA Cup final and again require a shootout, which Liverpool won 6-5. It marked the Anfield club’s first FA Cup trophy since 2005/06.
What other sports franchises does FSG own?
FSG, which Henry and Thomas Werner co-founded, has a number of sports franchises in its portfolio, including Liverpool. It has also owned the iconic Major League Baseball outfit, Boston Red Sox, since 2002. It took a controlling interest in the National Hockey League side, Pittsburgh Penguins, in 2021.
FSG bought the Pittsburgh Penguins in a $900m (£730m) majority takeover. It also has an ownership stake in the NASCAR Cup Series team, Roush Fenway Keselowski Racing. Henry’s conglomerate took a 50% stake in the team in 2007, while driver Brad Keselowski also later became a co-owner in 2021.
How much is FSG worth?
According to Forbes, FSG is the fourth-most valuable sports empire in the world in 2023. It is valued at $10.5bn (£8.5bn) owing to the group’s properties including Liverpool and the Boston Red Sox. The conglomerate also includes NESN, an American regional sports cable and satellite television network.
Further, FSG owns the global sports marketing firm, Fenway Sports Management, alongside its many sports franchises. But Forbes cited $4.5bn (£3.5bn) of FSG’s total worth to Liverpool as of May 2022.