Liverpool FC pick official supplier of coconut water

Liverpool have been given a fillip ahead of the Capital One Cup final after unveiling their official supplier of coconut water.

The three-year deal with the Chaokoh brand is designed to establish Chaokoh's parent company, the Theppadungporn Coconut Co, as a global player in the coconut business. It is said to be Liverpool's first commercial tie-up in Thailand.

Already available in 40 countries, including the UK, the United States and China, the drink will soon be jumping off the shelves in Liverpool-themed packaging.

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

"Reds supporters from around the world will be able to reap the benefits of the low calorie and naturally fat and cholesterol-free drink," swoons The Sun.

The paper suggests fans should stock up ahead of the visit to Wembley this weekend to take on Manchester City in the Capital One Cup: "Coconut water is also said to be a good hangover cure - which will come in handy for Reds fans drowning their sorrows - or celebrating a win."

Even in the sponsorship-heavy world of the Premier League, the deal shows up at the niche end of the spectrum to rival Manchester United's tie-up with Nissin, Old Trafford's official supplier of noodles.

But it could turn out to be significant.

"Competition between English Premier League clubs off the field is continuing to accelerate with the big clubs snapping up sponsorship deals in a bid to strengthen their global fan base and subsequently their revenue streams," says marketing website The Drum.

And it has won the approval of some, with the Empire of the Kop blog writing: "It's not considered important or relevant to the average 'fan on the street', but the reality is that the likes of Chelsea and Man Utd left us for dead in the commercial stakes between the mid-1990s and the arrival of [current owners] FSG... This announcement is another welcome step forward in our bid to catch up."