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A new NBA media rights deal worth nearly £60bn is “on the verge” of being agreed, bringing Liverpool owners FSG closer to their latest sporting venture.
Fenway Sports Group, which owns Liverpool, is always looking for new ways to make money and new projects to invest in.
One of their latest ideas was to venture into basketball, specifically the NBA which is now likely to expand from 30 to 32 teams.
It is known that FSG wants to invest in one of the expansion teams, which are assumed to be in Las Vegas and Seattle, but it has not yet been confirmed that the new setups are moving.
According to Liverpool Echo‘s Dave Powell, it was because the league had to negotiate a new media rights agreement and collective bargaining agreement.
The reporter wrote: “This week it looks like the NBA is on the verge of agreeing a staggering £59.8bn deal for the next set of rights over the next 11 years.
“Once that is agreed and delivered, attention will turn to expansion, and FSG is already preparing for that.”
FSG is exploring a potential new franchise in Las Vegas, but the price tag would “probably be closer to £4bn” than the £1.5bn originally mooted.
To put that into context, Forbes values Liverpool at £4.2 billion – over 14 times what FSG bought the club for in 2010.
Liverpool fan, basketball legend and FSG partner LeBron James is believed to be a key part of this new Las Vegas basketball team, despite currently playing for the Los Angeles Lakers.
John Henry and FSG have been continuously trying to diversify their sports business over the last few years and are now also looking to own more football clubs.
They also led a £3 billion investment consortium in PGA Tour golf and, of course, still own the Boston Red Sox, the Pittsburgh Penguins and the RFK Racing NASCAR team.
After leaving Liverpool, Klopp told fans: “Owners do what owners do, surprise. The owners want to make money. Sorry to tell you that.
“It’s not like they’re making money on a daily basis. They invest something and that’s how the whole world goes. We should be happy to have them, not the guys who bought the London clubs. I wouldn’t have survived a year at Liverpool.”
As always, there is no right or wrong answer when it comes to attitudes around FSG. All we can do is give you the facts about what they’re up to, so you can form an opinion.
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