After two summers without, Liverpool are heading abroad on a money-spinning pre-season tour.
The impact of the pandemic and the restrictions on travel over the past two years have meant that the Reds have had to abandon any plans they had to make the most of their global appeal and reach out to fans in other parts of the world, with the club's trip to the USA in the summer of 2019 the last time the Reds jetted away for such a trip.
Last summer they took in some pre-season preparation in the picturesque surrounds of Evian, a French spa town that sits on the banks of Lake Geneva. It has proven a favourite of Jurgen Klopp ahead of the gruelling nature of Premier League campaigns and provides some serenity ahead of the mania that a season can bring.
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But trips to the US and the Far East have been part and parcel of the biggest Premier League clubs' pre-season calendars for some time, with tours helping to deliver millions in commercial revenues, open up the club brand to new and existing fans in different, emerging markets, and to aid the cause when appealing to their commercial partners in those markets.
Liverpool are set to take on Manchester United in Thailand at the Rajamangala Stadium on July 12, with the trip being the first time that the Reds have trekked to the Far East since Brendan Rodgers took a Liverpool side there in 2015. The club have indicated that game is the 'first stop on the Reds’ summer tour'.
Liverpool's new commercial director, Ben Latty, said: “ Pre-season tour is a vitally important time of year for our players to prepare for the upcoming season, and it provides a fantastic opportunity to meet with fans around the world.
“Since the start of the pandemic we’ve been unable to travel for pre-season and so we’re extremely excited to be able to visit our supporters globally once again and compete in games like ‘The Match’.
“This trip to Bangkok will be very special and we’re really looking forward to having as many of our supporters with us along the way.”
And the commercial benefits will be a boon to Liverpool and owners Fenway Sports Group. Liverpool don't place an exact figure on what they earn from pre-season tours in their accounts, but a look at what Manchester United have been able to achieve through similar tours gives an idea as to the kind of money that can be made by these long-haul trips, that while may not be ideal for managers are key to commercial growth for football clubs.
United brought in £12.9m in revenues from their exhibition tour to Australia in the summer of 2019, accounted for in the 2019/20 accounts.
"We normally receive a guaranteed fee for such tours," it was explained in United's official accounts. "We also generate revenue from tour sponsorship opportunities sold to existing and new partners. During the 2019/20 season, our promotional exhibition games and promotional tours generated £12.9 million of revenue (excluding any related sponsorship revenue).
"We believe promotional tours represent a growth opportunity as we continue to play exhibition games around the world."
The removal of such revenue streams means that United lost out on around £26m in potential income. The return of them on the agenda, and with both Liverpool and Manchester United involved in the same bill, as well as the appetite for such tours after what would be three years without, means that another lucrative commercial opportunity has been opened up that will aid the efforts of the Reds to push on and get back on track after what has been a difficult couple of seasons financially.
