Liverpool Sells Stake to Bezos-Backed Consortium in $7 Billion Deal

LIVERPOOL, England —

Fenway Sports Group has agreed to sell roughly a third of Liverpool Football Club to a consortium that includes Amazon founder Jeff Bezos, the Premier League club's owners announced Friday.

The buying group, called 1892 Holdings after Liverpool's founding year, is led by Amit Bhatia, a British Indian businessman and former chairman of Queens Park Rangers. It also includes the Mittal Family Trusts, EE Capital and the K5 Sports fund, where Bezos is the lead investor. Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin, whose wife Elaine runs EE Capital, is also part of the group, according to Guardian Sport.

A Deal Years in the Making

CNBC reported the minority stake is worth about $7.1 billion, citing people familiar with the matter, and said the consortium has an option to become Liverpool's majority owner within the next 12 months at a valuation of roughly $8 billion. Guardian Sport put the price of the roughly 30 percent stake at 1.65 billion pounds, valuing the whole club at about 5.5 billion pounds (close to $7 billion). K5 Global's contribution is the largest piece of the deal, at more than $1 billion, according to CNBC.

Fenway Sports Group will keep majority ownership and day-to-day operational control of Liverpool, according to Al Jazeera. Bhatia will become the club's vice chairman and join an expanded board, alongside Elaine Saverin and K5 Sports co-founder Bryan Baum. Bezos will not hold a board seat, according to Reuters and CNBC.

"As we considered this opportunity, it became clear that Amit and the consortium shared our long-term philosophy and appreciation for what makes Liverpool special," Fenway Sports Group president Mike Gordon said in a statement.

Bhatia called the investment "a huge privilege" and said the group believes "deeply in Liverpool and its leadership."

No Immediate Change on the Field

Guardian Sport reported the deal will not affect Liverpool's transfer budget this summer or change the club's day-to-day leadership, and that regulatory approval could take up to 90 days. Fenway Sports Group, which bought Liverpool for 300 million pounds in 2010, told Guardian Sport the sale is not a step toward an exit from the club.

Liverpool, a 20-time English champion, finished fifth in the Premier League last season under new manager Andoni Iraola. The club opens its new campaign at Newcastle United on August 23, according to Al Jazeera.

Bezos, whose fortune Forbes estimates at $272 billion, has previously looked into buying NFL franchises including the Washington Commanders and the Seattle Seahawks but has not owned a stake in a professional sports team until now, according to CNBC.