Liverpool agree the most lucrative kit sponsor deal in Premier League history

News

FT Desk

Liverpool have agreed to what is expected to become the most lucrative front-of-shirt sponsorship deal in the history of the Premier League.

Standard Chartered has been Liverpool’s main sponsor for 17 years and the current deal is understood to be worth around £50m per season. The new deal, with Turkish Airlines, is said to be worth £60m per season reports the Guardian.

It's set to be over five years, which means the Reds will pocket £300m in total sponsorship in that period. Turkish Airlines will become the new sponsor as of the 2027/28 campaign, thereafter Standard Chartered will become a global partner rather than a main sponsor.

The financial services organisation also has the opportunity to bid for Liverpool's sleeve sponsorship, as the present deal with Expedia for between £9m and £12m expires this summer.

“This is a milestone announcement for us and we are delighted to welcome Turkish Airlines as our main club partner from June 2027,” Ben Latty, Liverpool chief commercial officer, said.

“The front of the Liverpool shirt holds a special place in the history of our club. Turkish Airlines is a globally recognised organisation with an extensive international network, and we look forward to beginning our partnership and building a strong relationship together, with already strong foundations built from those special memories back in 2005 [in Istanbul].”

Liverpool, of course, won the Champions League in the most famous final of all time in Turkey in 2005.

Turkish Airlines chief executive Ahmet Olmustur said of the deal: "This partnership brings together two global brands united by their international reach, commitment to excellence and ability to inspire millions of people around the world."

The aviation company will become only the third different front-of-shirt partner in 35 years at Liverpool, following Carlsberg and Standard Chartered.

Prior to the Premier League era, the Reds had Hitachi (1979-1982), Crown Paints (1982-1988) and Candy (1988-1992).

In 2026, Liverpool received a major minority investment from 1892 Holdings, a consortium led by businessman Amit Bhatia. The consortium acquired a 38% stake in Liverpool from Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which remains the club’s majority owner and continues to control the club.

Among the investors in the consortium is Jeff Bezos, the founder of Amazon. Bezos invested through K5 Sports, a fund connected to K5 Global. He is described as a passive investor, so he is not personally running Liverpool or controlling the club.

Another important investor is Eduardo Saverin, the co-founder of Facebook.