Celtic’s USA tour income and ‘intangible’ commercial benefits are another big off the pitch win

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Celtic’s Summer Tour of the USA has, so far, been a big success considering the club is only a week into it.

As well as winning the first fixture against DC United 4-0, Celtic have been promoting their charitable arm with a donation to Washington DC charity SOME.

Brendan Rodgers and his team have also visited The White House and taken in a Major League baseball game before the high-profile tour moved on to North Carolina.

Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City are up next in the midnight kick-off as Rodgers looks to continue the good press the club have been receiving so far.

But boosting Celtic’s image is not the only positive to take from this tour as there is also a commercial benefit that the club are set to see in terms of a financial boost.

How much Celtic could earn from USA Tour

Facing the likes of Man City and Chelsea and offering the Celtic fans in the States was always going to generate some decent income.

But as Celtic prepare to kick off their second game tonight, how much money could the Parkhead board be preparing to rake in for the two-week US jaunt?

To find out, 67 Hail Hail spoke to TBR’s Head of Football Finance and Governance Content Adam Williams.

Williams said, “At £38m at the last count, Celtic’s commercial income is the highest it has ever been.

“It has more or less doubled over the last four years and is now higher than almost half of Premier League clubs.

“That is particularly impressive given that, for sponsorship, Celtic have far lesser visibility on a non-domestic basis than those clubs.

“Pound for pound, brand Celtic is one of the strongest brands in world football.

“The club are smart to leverage that by touring the US. There is a huge Irish and Scottish diaspora in the country, particularly on the East Coast. As such, there is a huge potential pool of potential Celtic fans.

“It might seem clinical to talk about it in these terms, but Celtic’s commercial department will be thinking in terms of customer acquisition cost.

“In Glasgow, the cost of acquiring a new customer is astronomically high. If you’re born there, chances are you already have a club.

“In the US, the club can increase the number of individuals who engage with the club on a far more exponential basis, with those fans potentially paying for a replica shirt or Celtic TV.

“As well as being an experience for the players in and of itself, I think the trip to the White House was an easy win in this regard. It will have brought Celtic to the attention for whom the trip might otherwise have gone under the radar.

“With 25 supporters clubs in the US, Celtic are also nurturing their existing support in America.

“They are also capitalising at a time when football is one of the fastest growing mainstream sports in America ahead of the 2026 World Cup.

“It’s hard to calculate on a linear basis, but with match participation fees against Man City, Chelsea and DC United, commercial tie-ins and merchandise sales, I think you’re looking at around £2m in revenue from the tour.

“That’s before you factor in the intangible benefits – brand exposure and the like.”

So as well as boosting the Celtic name, the board is set to boost their bank balance with a significant sum of cash.

You also have to commend the Celtic marketing department for launching the new Adidas away kit right before the Man City game as that will give the new design even more exposure.

If the tour is as successful as Williams predicts, you would have to assume the Celtic board won’t wait another 14 years to travel to the region for another tour.