Liverpool's Standard Chartered Deal May Be Bigger Than Man. Utd's Pact With Aon

(MoneyWatch)  Here's a tiny factoid that makes you think: Was this deliberate? Liverpool F.C.'s ?£80 million sponsorship deal with Standard Chartered is actually worth ?£81 million due to an incremental bonus incentive, The Daily Mail reports. If true, that would give Liverpool ever-so-slightly more money for their shirt than arch-rivals Manchester United got with Aon for theirs. The Mail:

It has emerged that Liverpool's kit sponsorship with Standard Chartered is worth more than the ?£20m a year reported.

A small performance bonus takes the final figure over four years up to ?£81m, making it more lucrative than Manchester United's kit deal with Aon.

This will seriously miff United, as well as their secretive London office which works around the clock securing sponsorship.

A bonus payment worth ?£1 million or less on a four-year, ?£80 million contract? That doesn't make sense -- it's not worth "performing" to get it. So why is it there? Could it be that Liverpool just wanted to annoy their Old Trafford foes? Hmm.

The Mail also reports that online gambling concern Bwin (sponsors of Real Madrid and A.C. Milan) contended with Prudential in failed bids for Liverpool's lead sponsor slot. Bwin is now in talks to sponsor the F.A. Cup, a slot previously occupied by E.On.

Prudential was also named in connection with a bid for Man. Utd. But so was Standard Chartertered, which technically makes Liverpool the bank's second choice.

To come: When will Liverpool unveil the new Standard Chartered shirt? A big question is whether the logo will appear in plain white (like Carlsberg's) or whether the bank's official blue-and-green logo will go on the chest. Green isn't a problem, it's been part of Liverpool's colors for years. But having blue -- any blue -- on the red shirt may not sit comfortably with fans.

And finally: Real Madrid played in classic "blank" shirts Tuesday in their Champions league game against F.C. Zurich because Swiss laws prevent the advertising of gambling.

BNET's previous coverage of football advertising:

• Liverpool Sign Standard Chartered to ?£80M Deal; Replaces Carlsberg
• Standard Chartered Eyed in ?£15M Liverpool F.C. Sponsor Deal
• Carlsberg Confirms Talks With Liverpool on ?£7.5M Sponsor Pact
• Is Chelsea's New Sponsor Deal With Samsung Big Enough to Affect Its Debts?
• Arsenal's ?£100M Sponsorship Deal With Emirates No Longer Looks Like a Good Deal
• Will Death of Ex-Saatchi CEO Dreyfus Lift Curse of Marseille?
• Liverpool F.C. Seek ?£80 Mil. Deal With Carlsberg, But the Brewer May Not Easily Be Replaced
• Manchester United Sign Aon to Replace AIG as Shirt Sponsor; Club Returns to Profitability