Online brokerage EC Markets has secured a multi-year global sponsorship deal with Liverpool Football Club, its first foray into Premier League partnerships that gives it prominent exposure inside one of football’s most iconic stadiums.
The deal, which names EC Markets as an “Official Global Partner” of the club, kicks off publicly on August 4 during Liverpool’s pre-season double-header at Anfield.
In return for what industry insiders suggest is likely an eight-figure sum over the course of the deal, EC Markets gains access to Liverpool’s digital channels, social media network, and marketing rights. That includes player appearances, co-branded campaigns, and hospitality perks—valuable assets as the broker looks to scale its global footprint.
While financial details weren’t disclosed, the move lands EC Markets in lucrative territory. Liverpool boasts a global TV audience in the hundreds of millions each season and one of the most commercially mature operations in the league.
This isn’t Liverpool’s first foray into financial services sponsorships as Standard Chartered has been a long-standing shirt partner since 2010. However, the deal is the club’s first major move back into the trading space in recent years. The tie-up comes at a time when online brokerages are increasingly using top-tier sports to bolster visibility and credibility.
Ben Latty, chief commercial officer at LFC, said: “We want partners who share our passion, ambition and commitment to innovation, and are proud to welcome EC Markets to the LFC family. “With hundreds of millions of fans worldwide, this partnership will generate global exposure for EC Markets, and we look forward to working together.”
Matthew Smith, CEO and chairman of EC Markets, added: “We are absolutely thrilled to partner with Liverpool FC, a club with a rich history and truly global reach. As we partner with the number one football club in the most prestigious league in the world, we see a reflection of our own ambitions at EC Markets.”
The company joins a long list of trading platforms making similar moves. Swissquote, Plus500, and eToro have all aligned with top-flight football clubs in recent years.
For Liverpool, the agreement fits into a broader commercial strategy that has evolved since the club’s pioneering deal with Hitachi in 1979—the first shirt sponsorship in English football. Since then, names like Carlsberg, Crown Paints, and Standard Chartered have graced Liverpool’s kits, while betting and CFD firms such as BetVictor and Interwetten have come and gone in more targeted roles.
But partnerships in the trading space come with baggage. In 2019, the club severed ties with controversial betting sponsor 1xBet following regulatory pressure. The EC Markets deal, by contrast, appears cleaner as it linked to a firm operating under regulatory frameworks and keen to stay above board.
