Liverpool have announced a five-year shirt sponsorship deal with Turkish Airlines.
Club sources, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said that the deal is worth more than £300million ($405m) to Liverpool.
From the start of the 2027-28 season, Turkish Airlines will replace Standard Chartered, whose contract expires at the end of the current campaign.
Liverpool expect the deal to be worth in excess of £60m per season and believe that it makes it the most lucrative ‘front of shirt only’ commercial agreement in Premier League history.
Standard Chartered, whose branding has adorned the club’s shirts since the bank replaced brewer Carlsberg in 2010, currently pay Liverpool around £50m per season.
Liverpool’s chief commercial officer Ben Latty, who negotiated the deal with Turkish Airlines, told The Athletic in July that talks were taking place with “brands across the market” as it became increasingly clear that a change of shirt sponsor was imminent.
Turkish Airlines will be only the sixth shirt sponsor in the club’s history (Stuart Franklin/Getty Images)
Standard Chartered have an agreement in place to stay involved with Liverpool as a global partner after their contract ends next May.
“This is a milestone announcement for us and we are delighted to welcome Turkish Airlines as our main club partner from June 2027,” Latty said.
“The front of the Liverpool shirt holds a special place in the history of our club. Turkish Airlines is a globally recognised organisation with an extensive international network, and we look forward to beginning our partnership and building a strong relationship together.”
Turkish Airlines will become just the sixth front of shirt sponsor in Liverpool’s history following on from Hitachi (1979-1982), Crown Paints (1982-1988), Candy (1988-1992), Carlsberg (1992-2010) and Standard Chartered (2010-2027) .
“Liverpool Football Club is one of the world’s most recognised and respected football clubs, with an exceptional heritage and a truly global community of supporters,” said Turkish Airlines CEO Ahmet Olmustur. “We are very pleased that Turkish Airlines will become the club’s main club partner and that our name will take its place on one of the most iconic shirts in world sport.”
Liverpool’s existing partnership with Japan Airlines remains unchanged with that contract due to end next May prior to the start of the deal with Turkish Airlines.
How does Liverpool’s deal compare to the rest of the Premier League?
Analysis from football news reporter Philip Buckingham
Commercial revenues grow increasingly important in football’s era of financial restrictions and there is little question Liverpool have secured a big number to add to their balance sheets from 2027-28.
The precise figures go unpublished, all wrapped up in one big commercial total in the accounts, but there is unlikely to be a bigger deal of its kind in the Premier League. Manchester United’s partnership with Qualcomm, who carry the branding of its subsidiary company Snapdragon on shirts, has previously been reported by The Athletic to be worth in the region of £60m per year, which puts the two rivals broadly on the same level.
Manchester City’s long-standing deal with Etihad Airways is thought to bring in a higher yield but that also covers naming rights for the club’s stadium. The same applies to Arsenal and their own long association with Emirates Airlines.
A five-year deal with Turkish Airlines, running through to 2033, also comes at a time when others have struggled. Chelsea began a fourth consecutive Premier League season without a sponsor last month before eventually striking a one-year partnership with Circle Internet group to cover this campaign. Their search for a long-term partner ultimately goes on.
Liverpool’s latest commercial improvements also illustrate the gulf between the so-called big six and the rest of the Premier League. Aston Villa’s record front-of-shirt deal with Visit Rwanda is worth up to £20m a year, a similar level to Newcastle United’s new arrangement with Knox. Others in the Premier League would be happy to find a deal one sixth the size of Liverpool’s latest shirt sponsor.