Sunderland AFC’s Revival – A Relentless Obsession With Purpose, People & Pride
When Sunderland AFC clinched promotion through the 2024-25 Championship play-offs, it was more than just a triumphant return to the Premier League. It triggered a wave of investment, innovation and reimagination on Wearside with the Stadium of Light and the club’s business operations undergoing some of their most significant upgrades in decades.
When David Bruce arrived at Sunderland AFC from the MLS in 2023, he saw more than just a football club. He saw a community waiting to be reawakened. “I saw a club that was starting to do some of the right things,” Bruce recalls.
“A club with a huge amount of potential, a huge amount of opportunity, clearly a club with a vast amount of scale and a vast amount of reach – and a club, really, that probably had not placed its fans where they needed to be.”
Bruce’s mission was clear: reorientate the club’s operations to reflect its scale and reconnect with its supporters. Drawing on his experience in American sports business, he brought a fresh perspective to Wearside.
“Coming from the US, I came with a different sensibility. I’m probably a little bit more American than I am English in terms of how I view the world,” he says. “There’s a lot that American business does that’s very different to English business that really hit me straight away.”
Injecting Heart and Soul
Bruce’s strategy centred on two pillars: purpose and people. “It was about injecting the heart and soul back in the football club. It was as simple as that,” he explains. “My argument was if you can get that right, everything else will take care of itself.”
He introduced a guiding principle – a ‘relentless obsession’ to deliver for the fanbase. This wasn’t just a slogan; it became the club’s internal compass.
“If these people are completely obsessed about this football club, we have to be completely obsessed as a staff to deliver upon what the outside world is expecting of their connection and their fandom with the club.”
This obsession translated into tangible changes. Staff were empowered to solve problems creatively, such as opening the ticket office early on rainy days or making premium hospitality tickets available online.
“It feels very basic and straightforward,” Bruce says, “but selling premium online was something that we didn’t do so we changed that very quickly.”
Connecting with fans was central to changing the narrative around the club. One story which stands out for Bruce was that of a staff member noticing a booking for a child’s birthday and arranging a signed photo from his favourite player, Anthony Patterson. “This kid was in tears,” Bruce recalls.
“We’ve used that example so many times because it’s an example of the power you’ve got to change people’s lives and to make them feel so significant. It’s something they’ll never, ever forget and that is priceless.”
From Selling Football to Selling Belonging
Bruce quickly realised that Sunderland’s commercial success couldn’t hinge solely on match results.
“This football club absolutely lived and died by what happened on the pitch,” he says. “If we won, it was amazing, but if we lost it was like the doors of hell were about to open up.”
His goal was to create consistency and emotional stability. “Whether we win or lose, there’s a steadiness, there’s consistency and you belong and you connect to this football club,” he explains. “It is who you are, it’s your sense of identity.”
This shift in philosophy led to a reimagining of the club’s retail and hospitality offerings. Sunderland ended its Nike deal and partnered with Hummel and Fanatics to deliver bespoke merchandise.
“Bringing in Hummel was very deliberate,” Bruce says. “Commercially, it was attractive, but from a storytelling perspective, it allowed us to say to fans: ‘We know what your fandom means to this club, and we want to give you the best we can possibly get.’”
And the response from fans was overwhelming. “We went from selling around 30,000 kits to over 100,000 last year,” Bruce says. “Kids now walk around the city proudly in their shirts. Everyone’s feeling a little bit taller because it speaks to who they are.”
‘Til the End’ – A Rallying Cry
One of the most impactful initiatives under Bruce’s leadership was the ‘Til the End’ campaign. Launched at the end of the 2024/25 season following a difficult run of form, it aimed to unify the club and its supporters ahead of the Play-offs.
“I can’t think of a more powerful sports marketing campaign that has created such a sense of impact in change,” Bruce says. The campaign included wrapping the team bus, providing new tracksuits, 3D tifos and letters from local schoolchildren for the players.
“We needed a campaign that people could buy into and make it a bit of a movement,” Bruce explains. “If everyone believes in this and buys into it, this football club will 100 percent go to the Premier League.”
And they did. Sunderland scored late goals in all three decisive matches. “We scored at the very end in those three games – 88th minute, the 122nd minute and Tommy Watson’s 95th minute winner at Wembley,” Bruce says. “We got fans to believe something can happen. The players believe something can happen late now.” And the campaign’s impact was visible across the city.
“People have got it tattooed, pubs spent money to get it painted in their windows,” Bruce says. “You know you’ve done something right when that happens.”
Transforming the Stadium Experience
Promotion to the Premier League brought new expectations, and Sunderland responded with over £10m in stadium upgrades.
“Everything was about driving great levels of customer service and ensuring the idea of relentless obsession to create a connection with fans was brought to life,” Bruce says.
Technological upgrades were a cornerstone of Sunderland’s strategy. Enhanced connectivity and digital infrastructure will enable new forms of fan engagement, facilitate data-driven decision-making and unlock additional revenue streams.
The club partnered with Delaware North and brought in Michelin-starred chef and Sunderland fan, Tommy Banks to elevate the hospitality offering.
“We added two brand new hospitality spaces and reimagined existing ones,” Bruce explains. “It was about stretching the offer and cementing our service as world-class.”
The introduction of these new premium spaces within the stadium is poised to significantly increase revenue per attendee. For supporters, these changes promise a markedly improved matchday experience by reduced queuing times, enhanced comfort and providing a more vibrant stadium atmosphere contributing to their sense of pride and belonging.
Additionally, a new footbridge over the River Wear – the Keel Crossing – connecting the city centre to the stadium is set to transform matchday rituals with up to 12,000 fans expected to use the connection each matchday.
“You can stand in the city centre and see the stadium across the bridge,” Bruce says. “It’ll be like our Wembley Way.”
Looking Ahead: Building a Premier League Business
Bruce’s vision for Sunderland goes beyond football. “It’s about really establishing us as a Premier League club – building the foundations on and off the pitch,” he says. “We want to build a business that’s operationally effective, financially sustainable and emotionally resonant.”
The club is investing in technology, including 5G connectivity and a new app, to enhance fan engagement and unlock new commercial streams. “We believe greater connectivity in the stadium is going to unlock greater fan experience opportunities,” Bruce says. Now, every detail matters. From steward smiles to storytelling content, the club is focused on getting “1,000 small things right.”
Bruce sums it up stating: “Fans are savvy consumers. As soon as it looks like you’re putting the care and attention in, because you value them immensely, then everything changes.”
Ultimately, Bruce wants Sunderland to be more than a football club. “The more we can build a resilient business that is doing amazing things for our fans, the football becomes the cherry on the cake.”
Images: Sunderland AFC & Getty Images
