Liverpool owners FSG handed major boost ahead of potential $6 billion deal - 'very interested'

Fenway Sports Group (FSG) are ranked as the third most valuable sports empires in the world by renowned business magazine Forbes.

Given the portfolio that they boast, it is understandable why. FSG own prestigious teams in three respective sports. They purchased Liverpool in 2010 for just £300 million, with that price tag increasing 10-fold after being restored to one of the elite clubs in Europe.

The Boston Red Sox were FSG’s first venture. Since taking charge in 2002, they have won four World Series titles in the MLB. Meanwhile, the NHL outfit the Pittsburgh Penguins are a recognisable name. NASCAR team RFK are also under their umbrella.

Yet FSG remain in growth mode. They have recently made two ventures into the world of golf - first purchasing a franchise in the newly-formed Technology Golf League that is spearheaded by Tiger Woods and Rory McIlory. And earlier this year, they headed a consortium named the Strategic Sports Group that invested up to $3 billion in the PGA Tour.

It doesn’t seem that FSG are ready to stop, either. They persuaded former Liverpool sporting director Michael Edwards back to become CEO of football. Julian Ward, who was Edwards’ successor at Anfield, also returned while Pedro Marques was prised from Benfica - all with the view of purchasing a new club.

And it’s scarcely been a secret that John Henry and Co. covet an NBA team. FSG have been heavily linked with purchasing a franchise in Las Vegas whenever the league expands. Basketball legend LeBron James, a partner in the Boston firm, has openly expressed his desire to own a team in Sin City when he brings the curtain down on his playing career.

Gerry Cardinale - who is the managing director of RedBird Capital Partners, an 11% stakeholder in FSG - revealed in December that plans are afoot.

“We’re looking at bringing an NBA expansion team here in partnership with LeBron and Fenway Sports Group,” Cardinale said at the Sports Business Journal’s Intercollegiate Athletics Forum

“We started this project three years ago. The price talk on an NBA team three years ago was $3 billion. The price talk today on an NBA expansion team is $5.5 billion to $6 billion. I’m not sure I can make that work.”

A new franchise in Vegas has been mooted for a while. The Nevada city’s sports scene has exploded after NFL team the Raiders relocated from Oakland while NHL outfit the Vegas Golden Knights won the Stanley Cup last year. What’s more, Sin City already hosts the NBA’s In-Season Tournament.

In truth, if the NBA does expand from 30 teams to 32 then Vegas is very much in mind. NBA commissioner Adam Silver admitted that could happen once the new round of media rights deals are agreed.

Speaking on NBC Sports Boston's Celtics Pregame Live during the NBA Finals, Silver said: “We have to understand what our long-term media relationships are before we look to expansion. We're in the process of wrapping up those deals now.

“They're going to be long-term deals. I'm hoping we're not done yet, but they'll be successful in terms of generating more money for the league and the teams, and then we'll be in a position to look at expansion.'

“It's not preordained that we'll expand. I've said it before - you've got to look at the dilution, potentially, of talent, but there's so much great basketball being played around the world.'

“I don't think there's any doubt that over time, this league can sustain two more teams. And there's interest in the market, so once we finish our media deals, we'll turn our attention to that.

“There's been some discussion about going back to Seattle, potentially. Las Vegas, no doubt, is very interested in a team. Mexico City one day. But there's lots of other U.S. cities and Canadian cities, frankly, that have reached out to us to tell us they'd be interested.”