Fenway Sports Group

Fenway Sports Group
Company typePrivate
IndustrySports investment
Founded2001 (2001) in Delaware, U.S.
Founders
Headquarters
Boston, Massachusetts
,
U.S.
DivisionsFenway Sports Management
SubsidiariesBoston Red Sox
Fenway Park
Fenway South
Liverpool
Anfield
Pittsburgh Penguins
RFK Racing (50%)
Boston Common Golf
Salem Red Sox
Worcester Red Sox (10%)
Fenway Sports Management
Fenway Sports Group Real Estate
Fenway Music Company
New England Sports Network (80%)
Websitefenwaysportsgroup.com

Fenway Sports Group Holdings, LLC (FSG), is an American multinational sports holding conglomerate which owns Major League Baseball's Boston Red Sox, Premier League’s Liverpool, National Hockey League's Pittsburgh Penguins, NASCAR's RFK Racing, and TGL's Boston Common Golf.

FSG was founded in 2001 as New England Sports Ventures (NESV) when John W. Henry joined forces with Tom Werner, Les Otten, The New York Times Company and other investors to successfully bid for the Red Sox. NESV formally announced its name change to Fenway Sports Group in March 2011.[1]

In addition to owning the Red Sox, Liverpool and the Penguins, the Boston-based limited liability company also owns the home stadiums for both the Red Sox (Fenway Park) and Liverpool F.C. (Anfield), as well as Fenway Sports Management (which in turn owns the Salem Red Sox, a Single-A minor league baseball franchise), and 80% of the New England Sports Network (NESN).

FSG has been praised for its successful emergence as a sophisticated international sports conglomerate.[2] There has also been criticism. In 2019, FSG was criticized for an attempt by Liverpool to trademark "Liverpool", which was turned down because of the "geographical significance" of the name.[3] In 2021, FSG was embroiled in a controversy over its attempts, together with the ownership groups of eleven other soccer clubs, to create a European Super League. In doing so, FSG sought to emulate elements of the North American sports model, creating a competition with strictly limited entry beyond a proposed 15 founding member clubs and appearing to largely eliminate the European system of meritocratic promotion and relegation. Principal owner John W. Henry later issued an apology in which he took sole responsibility for the club's involvement in the venture, which subsequently collapsed.[4][5][6]

  1. ^ "NESV becomes Fenway Sports Group". March 22, 2011.
  2. ^ "Red Sox Nation Goes Global". Forbes. March 31, 2019.
  3. ^ Cite error: The named reference BBC2019 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  4. ^ Powell, Dave (April 20, 2021). "Four reasons why Liverpool owners FSG want Super League to copy NFL model". Liverpool Echo. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  5. ^ Pearce, James. "Klopp furious at FSG over Super League and Liverpool players and staff stunned by abuse at Leeds". The Athletic. Retrieved April 20, 2021.
  6. ^ "John W Henry's message to Liverpool supporters". April 21, 2021.