The following is a statement from New England Sports
Ventures.
New England Sports Ventures ("NESV") can confirm that
their bid for Liverpool FC has been selected by the Club's Board of
Directors and agreement has been reached with the Board to purchase
the Club. NESV wishes to extend its appreciation to the Board for
their diligence and their efforts on behalf of Liverpool FC and its
supporters.
NESV wants to create a long-term financially solid foundation
for Liverpool FC and is dedicated to ensuring that the Club has the
resources to build for the future, including the removal of all
acquisition debt. Our objective is to stabilize the Club and
ultimately return Liverpool FC to its rightful place in English and
European football, successfully competing for and winning
trophies.
Since 2001, New England Sports Ventures has made successful
investments in sports and entertainment properties. Our portfolio
of companies, including the Boston Red Sox and Fenway Park, New
England Sports Network, Fenway Sports Group and Roush Fenway Racing
are all committed to one common goal: winning. NESV wants to help
bring back the culture of winning to Liverpool FC.
We have a proven track record, shown clearly with the Boston Red
Sox. The team has won two World Series Championships over the past
six years. We will bring the same kind of openness, passion,
dedication and professionalism to Liverpool FC.
We are hopeful with regard to the pending legal and English
Premier League procedures now underway, however, in light of these
issues, we will respectfully refrain from comment or further
actions at this time.
Background on NESV
Created in 2001, New England Sports Ventures is one of the
largest sports, media and entertainment companies in the world with
a proven track record of success for each of its subsidiaries.
NESV's portfolio of companies includes: 100 percent of the Boston
Red Sox, a Major League Baseball club; 80 percent of New England
Sports Network, a regional sports television network; 100 percent
of Fenway Sports Group, a sales and marketing company; and 50% of
Roush Fenway Racing, a NASCAR racing team.
NESV is led by Principal Owner John Henry and Chairman Tom
Werner, who collectively have more than 30 years of experience as
owners in Major League Baseball. This ownership group has been
voted as the best in MLB by the readers of the Sports Business
Journal in each of the past two years, and in 2009 Sports
Illustrated selected this group as the number one ownership group
in MLB.
NESV Achievements
From 2002 through 2009, the Boston Red Sox have had the second
highest regular season winning percentage in MLB, have qualified
for the postseason in a club record six of the past seven seasons,
and have won more postseason games and World Series Championships
than any other club. In addition to a commitment to winning, NESV
has made a significant investment into extensive improvements to
Fenway Park, resulting in additional seating, more concourse space,
expanded concessions options, and an overall enhancement to the
Fenway Park fan experience. The Red Sox have also been deeply
committed to supporting the community. Since 2002, the Red Sox
Foundation has donated more than $38 million to worthy charitable
programs throughout New England, and the team through its Community
Relations efforts has given away more than 27,000 autographed items
and Fenway experiences to be used in fundraising efforts, and has
helped facilitate more than 4,000 player and alumni appearances in
the community.
New England Sports Network has had the highest rated MLB games
for the past six seasons from 2004 through 2009, and in 2009
delivered the highest television household ratings among all
regional sports networks in the United States. NESN has also
created a large amount of unique and original television content
and is at the forefront of the industry in terms of digital
media.
In addition to assisting with sponsorship sales for both the Red
Sox and NESN, Fenway Sports Group serves as the exclusive sales
agency for other tier one properties and brands such as Major
League Baseball Advanced Media, Boston College, and the Deutsche
Bank Championship PGA Tour event; helping many of its clients grow
sponsorship revenues by more than 20% annually. FSG also manages
all non-baseball events hosted at Fenway Park, including the hockey
events centered around the 2010 NHL Winter Classic, the Fenway
Football Challenge, and major concerts. FSG provides specialized
sports business consulting services for other professional sports
teams, assisting the Miami Dolphins in selling the naming rights
deal for Sun Life Stadium.
Roush Fenway Racing is one of NASCAR's premier racing teams and
has won 32 championships and more than 360 races in drag racing,
sports car and stock car racing; as well as five championships
across NASCAR's three premier series.
John Henry, Principal Owner
Henry's background includes finance and agriculture, and he is a
former limited partner of the New York Yankees and sole owner of
the Florida Marlins. He is in the Futures Hall of Fame. He sits on
the Executive Council of MLB and manages the Roush Fenway Racing
relationship. He is an active board member of Major League Baseball
Advanced Media (MLBAM) and specializes in digital media issues.
Henry is passionate about soccer and lives in Boston, Massachusetts
and Boca Raton, Florida.
Tom Werner, Chairman
Werner's background includes Harvard, ABC, and Carsey-Werner,
and he is the former owner of the San Diego Padres. He produced
some of the biggest hit series in television history such as The
Cosby Show, Roseanne, 3rd Rock from the Sun and That 70's Show. His
primary responsibility within NESV is the New England Sports
Network (NESN). Werner maintains a residence in Los Angeles and
Boston and is passionate about the business of sports.