£830m bounty up for grabs for Everton as Dan Friedkin recruits ‘king of the commercial market’

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Everton are taking some major leaps forward under the ownership of the Friedkins.

It has not even been half a year since The Friedkin Group were handed the keys on Merseyside, but the club look to be in a much better state.

A historic move to Bramley-Moore Dock this summer is set to propel the club into a new realm of financial power.

Over recent years, Everton have been struggling with balancing their books against PSR, which has hindered them in the transfer window.

However, there is a real cause for optimism at the club with the summer transfer window set to be an exciting one.

Everton have just welcomed Christopher Sarofim as a new investor and the American billionaire is set to open some doors for the club with huge potential.

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Christopher Sarofim will unlock American market for Everton

With new ownership at the helm, Everton are looking to land some lucrative deals to bolster the club’s revenue.

The new stadium is going to provide plenty of opportunities for Everton to expand as a brand, with the club now able to boast a state-of-the-art arena.

Marc Watts has recently admitted Everton are looking to tap into the American market and the addition of Sarofim is expected to help towards that.

Speaking to Everton News, TBR Football’s Finance Expert Adam Williams has shared his thoughts on the potential for the Blues to scale into the United States.

“If you look at the small print, every Premier League club owner is connected to every other Premier League club owner in some way or another, and the same is true of the connections with the NFL,” he told Everton News.

“These business networks make it easier to forge deals between clubs, leagues, agencies, investment firms and the so on. US franchise sport is the beating heart of this.

Everton are projecting a £60m per year revenue increase when they move into Bramley-Moore Dock, but there is room to grow that even further.

“The NFL, in particular, is the undisputed king of the commercial market. That’s something Everton can leverage on with this with Sarofim and his co-ownership of the Houston Texans.

“The owners of Fulham, Man United, Leeds and Arsenal are all invested in NFL teams. Liverpool, Aston Villa, Chelsea and Crystal Palace’s owners meanwhile have investments in the NBA, NHL, Major League Baseball and so on.

“With that kind of crossover, which Everton are now a part of as well, it’s to be expected that we’re seeing clubs borrow from US franchise sport in their commercial approaches.”

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American market accounts for £830m to European clubs

Everton have agreed to host the Rugby Ashes at their new stadium, which marks an encouraging domestic deal secured by the club.

But the opportunities in the States are providing Premier League clubs a real chance to share their brand with a new audience and claim a slice of the $1.1bn (£830m) pie.

“Look at the new stadium – Everton have brought in Aramark to handle the catering. That might sound trivial, but it’s a big deal with a lot of money involved,” Williams added.

“They’re an American company who specialise in the event-like nature of US sports. The US matchday model is now the go-to for Premier League clubs – for better or for worse.”

Everton will be playing their pre-season in the United States this summer, which is something which the Friedkins were quick to overrule from Sean Dyche’s time as manager.

“There’s also a direct effort to focus on the US commercial market. For most clubs, it’s probably their biggest retail market besides the UK. Everton are capitalising on that with their tour of the US this coming pre-season with the Premier League Summer Series,” Williams said.

“The Premier League’s TV deal in the US is also the biggest outside the UK. That means your getting more eyeballs on clubs like Everton in America, which means you can sell sponsorships specifically to companies with a US consumer focus.

“I think Sarofim’s contacts and expertise will be beneficial here. He’s getting in at the ground floor of an institution he clearly thinks can be way bigger than its current geography in L4.”

The previous regime held Everton back from moving into this realm of revenue, but with the Friedkins at the club, the Toffees are finally looking to compete with the top sides in the Premier League.

Everton have sat back for years and watched what the likes of Tottenham Hotspur have been able to achieve financially; now the infrastructure is being put in place for them to compete.

Bramley-Moore Dock will be a financial game-changer for Everton, but the building blocks are being put in place for the club to further maximise their opportunities under the American billionaires who could unlock new markets previously untapped on Merseyside.