Warrior Sports, the sportswear brand principally owned by New Balance, has been replaced by (you guessed it) New Balance as Liverpool's main sponsor.
Warrior which has been majority owned by New Balance since 2004 initially focussed on American sports clothing before entering the football market with a deal with Liverpool Football Club in 2004. The £80M 4 year deal was a significant increase at the time for LFC as Warrior planned to make a big splash in the sport.
However, as rumoured for some time, parent company New Balance have confirmed that they would be taking over in a rebrand for the American company.
New Balance is primarily known for its athletic wear - around 30,000 pairs of running shoes are made each week at their factory in the north of England.
Richard Wright of New Balance said:
“Liverpool FC is one of the most successful and decorated clubs in world football and we’re delighted to partner with the club. The sponsorship represents an important step for New Balance launching into football and reflects the global growth ambitions of the brand. Over the course of the contract New Balance will bring innovation and world class product to Liverpool FC and its global fan base.”
Billy Hogan, commercial chief at LFC said:
“We are thrilled to announce this sponsorship of one of the world’s leading sportswear brands, which is a record-breaking deal for the Club.
“Like Liverpool FC, New Balance has over 100 years of heritage and a global footprint. Not only are they well known for their technical innovation across a range of sports but they also have a presence in many countries across the world, which will all feature LFC kit. We are very excited about joining forces with them."
Porto, Sevilla and Stoke City will also see their kit manufacturer change to New Balance.
