Bezos in Talks for Liverpool Stake as FSG Considers $6 Billion Deal
Fenway Sports Group confirms talks with the Bhatia-led group, though sources caution that no guarantee exists the deal will proceed or that Bezos will ultimately invest.
Amazon founder Jeff Bezos is reportedly holding discussions to join a consortium led by Amit Bhatia in a bid to acquire a minority stake in Premier League soccer club Liverpool from Fenway Sports Group. The potential deal values the club at approximately $6 billion. While FSG confirmed preliminary talks with the Bhatia-led group, sources caution that no guarantee exists that Bezos will ultimately invest or that a deal will be reached.
FSG, which also owns the Boston Red Sox and backs the PGA Tour’s for-profit commercial entity, confirmed on Tuesday that it is in talks with the group regarding a “strategic minority investment” in Liverpool. The consortium is led by Bhatia, the son-in-law of Indian steel magnate Lakshmi Mittal. Sky News reported that Bezos has held discussions about joining the bid, although the report cautioned there is no guarantee he will end up investing. Representatives for Amazon and Blue Origin did not respond to requests for comment.
Bhatia stepped down from the board of Queens Park Rangers on Tuesday and agreed to transfer his stake in the club to majority owner Ruben Gnanalingam. The statement announcing his departure did not mention the potential Liverpool bid. A source familiar with the matter told Front Office Sports that discussions with the Bhatia-led group are preliminary and there is no guarantee a deal will be reached.
The Mittal family has an established sports portfolio: Aditya Mittal, Lakshmi’s son, is a minority owner of the Boston Celtics, and Lakshmi Mittal recently purchased the Rajasthan Royals of the Indian Premier League for $1.65 billion. Aditya Mittal recently lost out on buying the Seattle Seahawks to a group led by Vinod Khosla, who is a minority owner of the San Francisco 49ers.
Harsh Talikoti of Houlihan Lokey noted that the reported valuation underscores how premium sports franchises have moved from trophy assets to institutional-grade investments, citing scarcity and diversified revenues. Leagues like the NFL generally view potential majority owners more favourably if they are first minority owners, as minority deals require due diligence that aids vetting. In 2023, private-equity firm Dynasty Equity acquired a minority stake in Liverpool.
