Jeff Bezos Nears Deal to Buy Stake in Liverpool FC

Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is reportedly part of an investor group nearing a deal to acquire a significant stake in Liverpool FC. This move could give one of the world’s wealthiest technology billionaires his first investment in a professional sports team.

Bezos and Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin are among investors seeking roughly a 30% stake in the English Premier League club, according to The Guardian. The proposed transaction reportedly values Liverpool at about £4.5 billion.

Jeff Bezos could become a Liverpool investor.

Liverpool is currently controlled by Fenway Sports Group, the U.S.-based sports investment company that also owns Major League Baseball’s Boston Red Sox. A deal involving Bezos would add another prominent American billionaire to the ownership ranks of English soccer.

Bezos has previously been linked with potential investments in U.S. sports franchises but has not completed a major sports acquisition. A Liverpool investment would therefore represent his first significant move into professional team ownership.

The Premier League club is among the world’s most recognisable soccer brands. Forbes has valued Liverpool at approximately $6 billion, placing it among the most valuable soccer clubs globally.

American investors expand their Premier League presence

Bezos would join a growing group of wealthy Americans who have invested in English soccer. American ownership and investment now extends across much of the Premier League, with Sky Sports reporting earlier this year that 13 of the league’s 20 clubs had American shareholders.

Todd Boehly and Mark Walter are among the investors behind Chelsea, while New York Jets co-owner and former U.S. ambassador to the U.K. Woody Johnson has invested in Crystal Palace. Dan Friedkin has taken control of Everton, while Bill Foley leads the ownership group behind Bournemouth.

Celebrity investors have also increasingly entered English soccer. Ryan Reynolds is a co-owner of Wrexham, while Michael B. Jordan is part of the Bournemouth ownership group. Tom Brady holds a minority stake in Birmingham City, and Will Ferrell is an investor in Leeds United alongside athletes including Russell Westbrook and Michael Phelps.

English soccer attracts more U.S. money.

The growing American presence comes as soccer continues to expand its audience in the United States. At the same time, opportunities to acquire stakes in major U.S. sports franchises can be limited, while valuations for teams in leagues such as the NFL have climbed sharply.

Premier League clubs offer investors access to teams with global audiences and some of theworld’ss most recognisable athletes. English soccer has also gained broader cultural visibility in the United States through television productions including “Ted Lasso” and “Welcome to Wrexham,” which follows Reynolds and fellow actor Rob McElhenney’s ownership of Wrexham.

For Bezos, a Liverpool investment would also come as his public profile has increasingly extended beyond Amazon and the technology industry. His net worth is estimated at roughly $280 billion, according to the source reporting.

Bezos has growing business interests in Britain.

Bezos already has connections to the European sports media market through Amazon, which has previously streamed soccer competitions in Europe. He also has expanding business interests in Britain beyond Amazon.

Prometheus, Bezos ’ new artificial intelligence company, is reportedly considering office space in King’s Cross, an area of London that has developed into a major technology and AI hub.

A Liverpool deal would bring those growing U.K. interests into professional sports and place Bezos alongside a widening group of American technology executives, investors and celebrities who have acquired stakes in English soccer clubs.

The proposed investment has not yet closed. If completed, however, it would give Bezos his long-anticipated entry into professional sports ownership through one of European soccer’s most prominent clubs.