Sunderland unveil Elvis Presley collaboration with pink away kit for 2026-27 | OneFootball

On the 49th anniversary of Elvis Presley’s final concert, Sunderland unveiled a pink away kit born of a multi-year collaboration with his estate. The strip will be worn in 2026-27, a twist given Elvis never set foot on English soil.

The story goes that supporters forged the link in August 1977, days after his death, when Can’t Help Falling in Love became their adopted anthem. “The song, Can’t Help Falling in Love, has been synonymous with Sunderland since the 1970s,” said chief commercial officer Scott McCubbin, speaking to The Athletic.

Sunderland’s revived partnership with Hummel in 2024 led to formal talks in early 2025 with Authentic Brands Group, which holds a controlling stake in the Elvis Presley estate. A deal followed, allowing a merchandise range and an away kit for 2026-27 as part of a multi-year collaboration.

The pink shirt, with black shoulders, nods to Elvis’s Louisiana Hayride years, with Can’t Help Falling in Love on the back of the collar and his signature inside. Launched on Thursday with a video at Sunderland’s Empire theatre, it comes with a Blue Hawaii-inspired training range, and the front-of-shirt remains vacant after W88’s exit.

The club frames this as “episode one” and is targeting fresh exposure, particularly in North America. A US tour next month includes Liverpool in Nashville, Leeds United in New Jersey and Wrexham in Chester, and from early July the kit will be sold at Graceland, Elvis’s Memphis home, which Sunderland believe will be a first for sporting apparel.

Source: NY Times