Sunderland's first season back in the Premier League is a success on and off the pitch
Sunderland AFC's chief business officer David Bruce.
Sunderland AFC's chief business officer David Bruce.(Image: Sunderland AFC)
View Image
Sunderland's commercial revenues have quadrupled since promotion to the Premier League with the promise of further riches to come.
The club will earn more than £100 million in broadcast revenue this season but it is the promotion which has had the greater impact according to a report from the club’s chief business officer David Bruce.
Bruce, who joined the club from a role in the MLS in 2023 and has since been promoted to his current role, discussed Sunderland’s growth in an interview with US outlet Sport Business Journal.
It shows a significant boost to revenue in the Premier League as well as from broadcast rights, which will earn the club in excess of £100m this season alone.
The report reveals revenue streams in relation to commercial partners has shot up from £4m to £18m. These have primarily come from the club having signed a number of new partnerships this season, including with front-of-shirt sponsor W88. With betting sponsors set to be phased out from the front of Premier League shirts next season, Sunderland will need to agree a new partnership should they stay in the top tier.
Bruce has previously expressed his belief that beating relegation will lead to more significant deals being agreed as more businesses flock to a more established top-tier club.
Premium offerings have jumped to around £8m from around £3m according to the report while the club invested a sum of approximately £10m into the ground this summer. And retail has also enjoyed a major boost, with the report stating that sales have tripled to around £10m.
In the interview, Bruce revealed why he made the decision to return to the north east as a lifelong fan of the club.
“Across the business, people told me not to do the thing you love most,” Bruce said.
“My emotional side was just slamming my logical side. I didn’t want to retire someday and regret not having done this. I couldn’t leave MLS for anything other than trying to get my club in the Premier League.
"I’ve got family here and all my childhood friends, but they got more pints with me when I was based in New York, because this job is all-consuming.”
Bruce also spoke in the interview of how he tried to bring the ‘service’ culture from American sports to Wearside.
“When I got here, we didn’t have anyone responsible for all of our fan-facing functions," he added. "We’ve since tried to instil that our simplest KPI [key performance indicator] is making a fan smile.”
Since his arrival in 2023, Bruce has driven a number of new long-term partnerships at the club. As well as long-term arrangements with hummel and fanatics, Sunderland’s stadium concourse operation was overhauled this summer as a result of a new partnership with Delaware North.
The club’s accounts for the 2024/25 season, which resulted in promotion to the Premier League, are due to be released next year. The accounts for the current campaign, which will outline the club’s revenue streams more accurately, will follow a year later.
Sunderland knock up to 60% off kit and merch
This article contains affiliate links, we will receive a commission on any sales we generate from it. Learn more
Content Image
Content Image