The Impact Of Liverpool’s Truly Global Fanbase

Below is a summary of the full article. Click here for the full version from Empire Of The Kop or go back to LFC Live.

Few teams in world football have the international fanbase that Liverpool FC can boast. It can be difficult to accurately estimate how many LFC fans there are globally; most estimates put the figure at around 200 million.We’re going to look at how important this is from a commercial perspective and how it impacts every element of the club, from local supporters to how the club operates at a board level when deciding which manager to bring in and which players to sign.Attracting International SuperstarsThis year, we’re going to see the return of the greatest football spectacle on Earth – the FIFA World Cup, in which Liverpool will have several first-team regulars playing.

For instance, many Reds will be watching the Netherlands defence closely, hoping that their captain Virgil Van Dijk can put in a good showing at what will likely be his last World Cup.Nations like Egypt, which have a talisman in Salah, have cultivated an enormous LFC fanbase solely because of his success with millions of new fans, many of whom travel to Liverpool on a matchday. It is this global appeal which brings tens of millions of pounds into the city every season, and until you travel the world and see how many people support the club, it is actually quite difficult to get a true grasp on how many international Reds fans there are.Bringing Back The Glory DaysWhen a sports product becomes as globally successful as the Premier League, it goes without saying that the teams who win it stand to bring in millions of new global fans.

Maybe these don’t have quite the same connection to the city that locals do, but the game is bigger than that now.Back in the mid-20th century, football clubs were an extension of their community and deeply entwined with their roots, but with the majority of Premier League clubs now owned by billionaires, it’s a case of moving with the times or risk becoming irrelevant, as many giants of the English game have.Without international recognition and a large global fanbase, the commercial return is much smaller. It lowers ticket prices; teams receive less TV and broadcast revenue, and merchandise sales (e.g. replica shirts) decline significantly.Jürgen Klopp brought back the glory days for Liverpool, securing their first league title in 30 years and a coveted Champions League trophy, and that success grew the club’s international fanbase.Final ThoughtsCombining all of this, some clubs face losing tens of millions per year if they find themselves outside the top 6 for a few years or languishing in the relegation zone.Although Liverpool are not in any imminent danger of the drop, it is crucial that their success matches the club’s global appeal.