Liverpool will take their partnership with Danish beer company Carlsberg to 42 years after inking a new 10-year deal.
Carlsberg, which began its partnership with the Reds back in 1992 when it took over the front of shirt sponsorship from electronics firm Candy, was the club’s principal partner until 2010 when Standard Chartered took over, with Carlsberg then becoming the club’s official beer partner.
Last year the club celebrated a 30-year anniversary of the partnership, the longest commercial agreement in Premier League history, and the current deal, which still had time to run, sees the firm continue the journey with the Reds for another decade.
Speaking about the renewal with Carlsberg, Ben Latty, commercial director Liverpool said: “We are absolutely delighted to continue to have Carlsberg as a member of the LFC partner family for another ten years. The longevity of this agreement is testimony to our commitment to each other and the success of our partnership so far, which has been built on a deeply-rooted set of shared values.
“We have been on quite a journey with Carlsberg since 1992, and we consider them as more than a partner, they are a true supporter of Liverpool Football Club. They are woven into the fabric of the club, across our men’s and women’s teams, and we look forward to what the next ten years brings for this amazing partnership.”
In extended the partnership with Carlsberg it is the latest win for the Latty and the Reds’ commercial team, which stretches across continents with offices in not only the UK but also North America and Asia.
Last most recently published accounts for the Reds, for the 2021/22 period, showed that the club made a record £247m in commercial revenues, up £29m from the previous year. It is anticipated that when the 2022/23 accounts are published in early 2024 that commercial revenues will have grown again thanks to a number of key deals being signed, the most recent being with global courier and supply chain company UPS, with the link-up to aid the Reds’ own retail operations in terms of getting product in the hands of fans.
Speaking exclusively to the ECHO in October, Latty said: “We’re not arrogant but I think that we’ve done well, and long may that continue.
“We can always improve, clearly, we will continue to improve. There is an array of people working for the greater good of the club, including our extended team at FSM (Fenway Sports Management, a part of the portfolio of companies owned by Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group), who are brilliant at what they do in the US.
“In terms of how and why we have seen success, I think we have all the ingredients we need to have success and continue that success. When I talk about ingredients and what makes you an attractive partner for a blue chip brand, we have first and foremost really strong values. We have a respected and responsible ownership group who I believe, and I’m sure many others believe, run and operate the club in the right way and invest in the right areas that need investment, whether that’s infrastructure or resource. We have a strong leadership team within football, a commitment to the women’s game, award-winning sustainability strategy, a super-skilled sales team who instil trust from the beginning with partners, and we deliver for partners.
“We have unrivalled reach as a football club through our owned and operated digital channels and the TV audiences that we attract. When you throw all those ingredients into the mix I can’t think of another rights holder, let alone another football club that has all of those ingredients, and we are seeing all of that come to fruition now.”
The extension of the Carlsberg deal ties in strongly to what Liverpool look to achieve commercially, where not only new partnerships and ways of working are found, but there is a high retention rate on existing partnerships, with the likes of Carlsberg, who commissioned and donated the Bill Shankly statue outside Anfield in 1997, and Standard Chartered falling into that bracket, as well as other renewals with the likes of Expedia and EA Sports.
Louise Bach, global sponsorships director, Carlsberg, said: “We are extremely proud to add another 10 years to the iconic partnership between Carlsberg and Liverpool FC. During the last three decades we have stood side by side through the ups and downs and have become part of each other’s DNA.
“The partnership is deeply rooted in our shared values, and we are very excited for the next decade. We can’t wait to bring this unique partnership to the millions of football fans around the world, because just like Liverpool FC, we, at Carlsberg, put the fans first.”
Driving commercial revenues is important for the Reds and the club’s self-sustaining model under FSG, especially at a time when current Premier League champions Manchester City is continuing to see its revenues boom, with the club’s recently published accounts for the 2022/23 season showing that the club posted £341.4m in commercial revenues, up 10.3% from £309.5m for 2021/22.
