Since Fenway Sports Group acquired Liverpool in 2010, the club has been on a mission to establish strong foundations in North America.
The United States is Liverpool’s number one international market for its merchandising business, with sales fuelled by a sizeable network of official supporters’ clubs.
Thousands of fans gather in cities across the US and Canada to watch broadcasts of Liverpool games – no mean feat considering the popularity of other sports there.
The Reds are a popular pick with sports bettors in North America – a point evidenced by the number of punters who wager on them on the sportsbook linked to a major online casino Canada platform.
Unlike popular casino games such as slots, luck has not been a factor in Liverpool’s rise to prominence in North America over the past few years.
In addition to their supporters’ clubs, Liverpool have established international academies across numerous states in the US with a view to engaging with younger fans.
These efforts have been supported by a significant shift in commercial strategy over the past three years, with the club signing lucrative deals with several major US-based brands.
These include Google Pixel, Peloton, UPS and Orion Innovation, each of which have become important partners with the Premier League giants.
The club’s pre-season tour of three of America’s most iconic sports venues last summer was also designed to strengthen their foothold across the Atlantic Ocean.
Notre Dame Stadium, Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park hosted games, and fans flocked in their thousands to each venue to watch the Reds in action.
The club has also worked closely with public relations agency Elevate Communications since 2012 on a series of initiatives designed to boost their profile.
These include leveraging photo opportunities with club legends, collaborations with Major League Baseball and an event at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway.
Numerous other campaigns helped Liverpool achieve more than 2.3 billion earned media impressions via a plethora of media placements and interviews.
Liverpool recently broke through the 200 million follower mark on social media platforms for its men’s and women’s teams, highlighting the club’s global appeal.
However, they still lag behind Real Madrid, Barcelona and Manchester United, each of which have a larger audience across the most popular social platforms.
Manchester City and Chelsea are also significant threats to Liverpool’s ambitions to grow their global footprint, particularly in the North American market.
City’s emergence as the dominant force in English football in recent seasons has inevitably garnered interest from North American sports fans.
The phrase ‘everybody loves a winner’ undoubtedly applies where Man City are concerned, with the club’s sustained success making them an attractive proposition.
The link-up with Major League Soccer (MLS) club New York City has helped their cause in the US and is a tactic Liverpool have yet to mimic.
The club is reportedly eager to establish a multi-club network and creating a formal relationship with an MLS outfit would make perfect sense.
City and Chelsea have a strategic advantage over Liverpool this summer as they are scheduled to take part in the revamped FIFA Club World Cup in the US.
The tournament will give both clubs the opportunity to boost their profile in North America when it is staged in June and July.
Liverpool are heading to Asia for their pre-season tour, which will temporarily place them outside the spotlight in the North American market.
However, it would be no surprise to see them return there sooner rather than later to ensure they fully capitalise on the momentum they have built.
