Liverpool FC and Western Union have announced a multi-year partnership that will see the global payment and money transfer services firm become the Premier League football club’s first official shirt sleeve sponsor.
Western Union’s logo is the first to appear on Liverpool’s sleeve and only the sixth to appear on the shirt in the club’s 125-year history.
The partnership will also see Western Union become the official money transfer partner of the club, as the US-based company looks to expand its global offering by taking advantage of Liverpool’s vast international fan base.
Western Union currently boasts customers from across more than 200 countries, with Liverpool’s 700 million active followers – through television, social and traditional media – the obvious draw for the business.
Liverpool was the first English football club to include sponsors on the front of its shirts following a 1979 deal with Hitachi, and its shirt sponsorship deal with Carlsberg – which lasted from 1992-2010 – is the longest-running deal in English top flight history.
Commenting on the partnership, Billy Hogan, chief commercial officer and MD at Liverpool FC said: “Western Union is an instantly recognisable brand with a truly global footprint and we are absolutely delighted to welcome them as our first ever shirt sleeve sponsor and official principal partner. We are very much looking forward to working with Western Union through this partnership to create new experiences and opportunities for our fans both in the UK and abroad.”
Jean-Claude Farah, president of global payments at Western Union: “This partnership goes far beyond a badge on a shirt, as we will be bringing our digital money transfer expertise to better connect Liverpool FC and fans around the world.”