TA: Liverpool’s Turkish Airlines Sponsorship Deal Worth £60m a Year, Comparable to Manchester United’s Qualcomm Agreement

Liverpool have officially announced a five-year front-of-shirt sponsorship agreement with Turkish Airlines. According to The Athletic, anonymous club sources revealed that the deal will bring Liverpool a total value of more than £300 million.

Starting from the 2027-28 season, Turkish Airlines will replace Standard Chartered, whose contract will expire at the end of this season.

Liverpool expect the deal to be worth more than £60 million per year and believe it makes the agreement the most expensive 'front-of-shirt only' commercial partnership in Premier League history.

Since replacing Carlsberg as Liverpool's shirt sponsor in 2010, Standard Chartered's logo has appeared on the front of the shirt and the bank currently pays Liverpool around £50 million per year.

Liverpool chief commercial officer Ben Latty told The Athletic in July this year that, with the trend toward a change of shirt sponsor becoming increasingly apparent, the club was negotiating with 'all types of brands in the market.'

Turkish Airlines will become the sixth front-of-shirt sponsor in Liverpool's history. The previous five were Hitachi (1979-1982), Crown Paints (1982-1988), Candy (1988-1992), Carlsberg (1992-2010), and Standard Chartered (2010-2027).

Standard Chartered has agreed that after its contract expires in May next year, it will continue its involvement as a global partner of Liverpool.

Liverpool's existing partnership with Japan Airlines (JAL) will remain unchanged. That contract expires in May next year, when the Turkish Airlines partnership will officially begin.

Where does Liverpool's deal rank among Premier League sponsorship agreements? — According to TA, at around £60 million per year, it puts the two rivals at roughly the same level.

Manchester City's long-term agreement with Etihad Airways is believed to generate higher revenue, but that deal also includes stadium naming rights. The same applies to Arsenal's arrangement with their long-term partner Emirates.

This five-year contract with Turkish Airlines will run until 2033, coming at a time when other clubs have faced sponsorship difficulties. Chelsea began their fourth consecutive Premier League season without a shirt sponsor last month before eventually agreeing a one-year short-term partnership with Circle Internet Group to cover this season. Their search for a long-term partner continues.

Liverpool's latest increase in commercial revenue also highlights the gap between the so-called 'Big Six' and the rest of the Premier League. Aston Villa's front-of-shirt sponsorship agreement with Visit Rwanda is worth up to £20 million per year, similar to Newcastle United's new deal with Knox. Other Premier League clubs would already be pleased to secure an agreement worth one-sixth of Liverpool's new sponsorship contract.