Liverpool FC CEO Billy Hogan spoke to The Athletic about the “winning combination” the club has with Los Angeles Lakers superstar LeBron James, who is a part of Fenway Sports Group (FSG), which owns the club.
Liverpool is in a bit of a tough financial situation since it is on the outside looking in of the Champions League. Hopefully, it can use its ties with James to help build up the club’s brand and revenue.
“Obviously, it creates a difference from a revenue standpoint, and we have to operate accordingly,” Hogan admitted. “Our goal is to run the club sustainably. When you are missing revenue from the Champions League, you have to react accordingly — and we’ve done that.”
Earlier this year, Liverpool and Nike teamed up with the Lakers star to release a fashion and footwear collection.
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Hogan had some nice words to say about the collaboration.
“Any time you can bring two iconic sporting names together, Liverpool and LeBron, that’s going to be a winning combination,” Hogan said. “Certainly, we’ve seen that with the interest level in the most recent collaboration. There’s a benefit to both of us – those folks who may not be Liverpool supporters but might be fans of LeBron, and vice versa.”
James and Maverick Carter, who is one of the four-time champion’s longtime business partners, received about a one percent stake in FSG back in 2021 and have been a part of the group ever since.
It’s one of the many business ventures that the Lakers star is a part of, and he’s certainly helped raise the brand of Liverpool with this collection. James is one of the most famous athletes in the world, amassing a huge following on social media throughout his career.
Hogan clearly sees the benefit of partnering with such a historic figure in the sports world. James not only has won four titles in the NBA, but he’s reached the Finals 10 times in his career, including an eight-season stretch where he made the Finals in every season.
James, who became the NBA’s all-time leading scorer during the 2022-23 season, can continue to add to his own winning brand with the Lakers in the 2023-24 season.
After making the Western Conference Finals last season, James and the Lakers brought back several key players to make another run at an NBA title in the 2023-24 campaign.
James already won a title with the Lakers in the 2019-20 season, the third franchise that he’s won a championship with in his NBA career. He’s looking for continued success on the floor and with his business ventures with Liverpool in the coming year.
