Liverpool owners FSG linked with deal that could impact Newcastle United’s Saudi owners

Fenway Sports Group are reportedly interestest in becoming a minority shareholder of the PGA Tour.
By Will Rooney
Published 3rd Oct 2023, 10:05 BST
Updated 3rd Oct 2023, 11:45 BST

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From left: FSG trio Tom Werner, Mike Gordon and John Henry. Picture: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty ImagesFrom left: FSG trio Tom Werner, Mike Gordon and John Henry. Picture: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images
From left: FSG trio Tom Werner, Mike Gordon and John Henry. Picture: John Powell/Liverpool FC via Getty Images

Liverpool owners Fenway Sports Group (FSG) have been linked with their latest investment.

The Reds' owners are currently in growth mode, having struck up several deals already this year. In July, they had a $1.6 billion project approved to regenerate the vicinity of Fenway Park, the iconic home of Major League Baseball team the Boston Red Sox.

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Meanwhile, FSG have purchased a Boston-based franchise in the newly-former Technology Golf League that is spearheaded by icons Tiger Woods and Rory McIlroy. And the marketing arm of their business, Fenway Sports Management, recently partnered with the Ladies Professional Golf Association to form a 'unique sales alliance'.

Against the backdrop of the 2023 Ryder Cup, which The Times reports that record broadcast figures of 3.7 million in the UK, FSG could now take a further step into the world of golf. According to Bloomberg, John Henry and Co. are exploring investing in the PGA Tour that could provide 'a possible alternative transaction to a pending deal with Saudi Arabia's Public Investment Fund (PIF).

It is suggested that some US investors would prefer to lead a deal although a partnership with PIF could happen. The PGA Tour agreed a merger with the Saudi-backed LIV Golf and the DP World Tour in June. Major winners including Phil Mickelson, Brooks Koepka, Dustin Johnson and Bryson DeChambeau all made the switch after being offered lucrative deals.

Bloomberg reports that ‘US lawmakers have been vocal about their opposition to a deal, despite assurances by PGA representatives in July that the Public Investment Fund would be only a minority investor in the combined entity’. Meanwhile, the PIF has ‘the exclusive right to further invest in the new entity, including a right of first refusal on any capital invested’ per terms with the PGA Tour.

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The Boston Globe also suggests FSG are one of six North American-based companies bidding for a minority stake in the PGA Tour. A statement from the PGA Tour said: “Throughout 2023, the PGA TOUR has demonstrated its strength, reach and value as an enterprise. Our focus continues to be on finalizing an agreement with the Public Investment Fund and the DP World Tour, however, our negotiations have resulted in unsolicited interest from other investors.”

Related topics:Major League BaseballRory McIlroyTiger Woods

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