Battle of the brands: Man Utd and Liverpool look for investors

LONDON : The rivalry between English soccer giants Manchester United and Liverpool has spilled over into the boardroom with both U.S.-owned clubs signalling they are seeking fresh investment and willing to listen to potential bidders.

Both based in cities in northwest England, United have won the English league title 20 times, one more than Liverpool. But the two clubs have been eclipsed domestically by Abu Dhabi-backed Manchester City in recent seasons.

Here's the scorecard for the two rivals:

FORBES VALUATION

Man Utd: world's 3rd most valuable club worth $4.6 billion

Liverpool: ranked 4th in the world worth $4.45 billion

ANNUAL REVENUE

Man Utd (June 30, 2022): 583 million pounds ($698 million)

Man Utd (June 30, 2021): 494 million pounds

Liverpool (May 31, 2021): 487 million pounds

MEDIA REVENUE (TV rights to games)

Man Utd (June 30, 2022): 215 million pounds

Man Utd (June 30, 2021): 254 million pounds

Liverpool (May 31, 2021): 266 million pounds

COMMERCIAL REVENUE (including sponsorship and retail, merchandising, apparel and product licensing)

Man Utd (June 30, 2022): 258 million pounds

Man Utd (June 30, 2021): 232 million pounds

Liverpool (May 31, 2021): 217.6 million pounds

ANNUAL MATCH DAY REVENUE (ticket sales):

Man Utd (June 30, 2022): 110 million pounds

Man Utd (June 30, 2021): 7 million pounds*

Liverpool (May 31, 2021): 3.6 mln pounds*

* Match day revenues were affected by COVID restrictions in the 2020/2021 season when stadiums were closed for long periods.

CORE EARNINGS

Man Utd: adjusted EBITDA 81.15 million pounds (2021-22)

Man Utd: adjusted EBITDA 95 million pounds (2020-21)

Liverpool: operating loss of 40.39 million pounds (2020-21)

PROFIT/LOSS

Man Utd: Loss of 115 million pounds (2021-22)

Man Utd: Loss of 92 million pounds