Liverpool FC reveals record annual revenues of £703 and a return to profit but the club’s razor-thin margins and soaring wage bill underline how critical it is to keep qualifying for the Champions League. Tony McDonough reports
Liverpool Football Club is reporting record annual revenues and a return to profit in its latest financial results although it now has the biggest wage bill in the Premier League.
While the results are a vindication of owner Fenway Sport Group’s efficient business model, the razor-thin margins emphasise how critical it is the club remains in the UEFA Champions League.
In the 12 months to May 31, 2025, LFC saw revenues rise 15% to £703m boosted by a £60m rise in media income to £264m, matchday revenue up £14m to £116m and commercial revenue up £15m to £323m.
However, overheads soared by £57m to £657m with the wage bill rising £42m to £428m and business rates up 286%. This reflects bonuses and new contracts for key players such as Mo Salah and Virgin Van Dijk. Including playing and coaching staff the club employs more than 1,000 people.
Pre-tax profit was £8m, a turnaround from the £57m pre-tax loss reported a year ago. This underlined the importance of Champions League football to the club as this was a big factor in the rise in media income.
Jenny Beacham, LFC’s chief financial officer, said: “We make no secret of our desire to run and operate a financially sustainable club, to grow revenue streams, and to do all we can off the pitch to help bring more success on it.
“The 2024-25 season is a great example of how this can work, with record revenues alongside the men’s team winning our 20th league title.
“The challenge for us is to continue with our growth through the incredible work that we do in areas such as our partnership portfolio and retail offerings, as well as continuing to diversify our focus to best serve our global fan base.
“The club does face significant cost challenges, including rises in administrative, staffing and operational costs, alongside the need for us to compete at the highest level of the game across our men and women’s teams.”
New partnerships signed across the season included Japan Airlines, Engelbert Strauss, Lucozade and Husqvarna, with two extensions agreed, most notably a 10-year renewal with Carlsberg, which will extend the Premier League’s longest-standing partnership to a total of 42 years.
Retail and ecommerce also increased revenues, with the official LFC Store app accounting for almost a quarter of all ecommerce revenue, with a 15%increase in active weekly users.
Records continued to be broken across the club’s digital infrastructure, with LFC once again named the most-engaged Premier League club, generating 1.7bn social media fan engagements across this reporting period.
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The club’s 20th league title win was the most-engaged day of all time with more than 62m social media engagements across all channels in a 24-hour period, according to Blinkfire Analytics.
LFC was also the most-watched Premier League club during the 2024-25 season across all competitions. According to Nielsen, the club had a cumulative global TV audience of more than 588m.