What Makes Americans Buy British Soccer Clubs? http://www.npr.org/2014/04/26/307057674/what-makes-americans-buy-british-soccer-clubs
Liverpool vs Roma at Fenway Park is the reason why and similar type international matches that the US owners can bring to the states
You think John Henry bought Liverpool so he could have a friendly at Fenway? Much cheaper ways to accomplish that.
He bought Liverpool because he saw it as an undervalued commodity (which it was) and he saw a lot of correlations with his purchase of the Red Sox. Also got an email from an employee who happened to be a Liverpool supporter (well technically Tom Werner got the email). Basically he bought Liverpool to make money, and figured it was more interesting to make money through sports than a nice safe annuity.
Big Money Attracts Deep Pockets: More Billionaires Buying Into Soccer http://www.forbes.com/sites/tomvanriper/2014/05/07/soccer-billionaires-2014/
The answer is obvious: It's about selling it for a profit. As the value of European clubs rise, you can buy (relatively) low and sell high. If you own an English Premier League team, your only concern is when the right time to sell is. It doesn't really matter that you're losing money year to year, because the value of the franchise is rising. You'll recoup your money and then some. In most cases its not your money you're using anyway, but borrowed money. Arab investors buy for prestige, and a way to expand their brands and export their culture.