Football's summer tours have transformed into travelling commercial platforms, integrating large fees, sponsors, merchandise, media, and global fan expansion, explains Simon Dent. Premier League clubs are now seen traversing the United States, Australasia, and Asia for these tours.
These are no longer just football tours but carefully constructed commercial agendas. Big clubs are competing not only for trophies but also for attention, consumers, and commercial partners worldwide, with pre-season being a key opportunity to reach these audiences physically.
Deloitte's 2026 Football Money League highlights the scale of this opportunity, reporting that the world's 20 highest-earning clubs generated a record €12.4bn in 2024-25. Commercial revenue accounted for €5.3bn of this, making it the largest revenue category for the third consecutive year.
While broadcast income is largely fixed by competitions, clubs have greater control over sponsorship, retail, licensing, and direct-to-consumer products. For example, Manchester United's two-match post-season trip in May 2025 was reportedly worth over $10m in revenue, and Liverpool's 2025 trip to Hong Kong and Japan reportedly earned fees of £8m-£10m.
The economics often start with a promoter covering event risk, while clubs gain from fees, revenue shares, merchandise, hospitality, and content monetisation. Sponsorships also play a crucial role, with global partners seeking access and experiences in priority markets, such as Liverpool's 2025 Hong Kong match being the Standard Chartered Trophy.