Sunderland chief Tom Burwell ‘to target’ Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Detroit in US push | OneFootball

Sunderland are aiming to grow their US support by leaning on shared industrial heritage, with chief executive Tom Burwell identifying Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Detroit as key markets.

"I don’t think that Los Angeles and New York are going to be our places," he said, speaking to the Financial Times.

A recent pre-season tour took the club to New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Tennessee. Burwell said Philadelphia "really resonated strongly", and he underlined the close ties between major sports organisations and their communities in comparable cities.

"Our view on North America is to be highly targeted alongside partners and distribution platforms, and wrap our very authentic story up and tell that story to people that’s going to resonate," Burwell added.

The plan is to present Sunderland’s history, and the city’s recent regeneration, in a way that connects with overseas audiences most likely to relate to Wearside.

The commercial drive comes amid tighter spending controls across the game, with international growth seen as a route to new revenue through partnerships and merchandise.

One example is the agreement with the Elvis Presley estate to sell the club’s pink-and-black, Cadillac-inspired away shirt at Graceland, linking Wearside’s tradition of singing "Can’t Help Falling in Love" to an American audience.

Source: Sunderland Echo

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