Sunderland chiefs stress international fan growth amid Africa ties and US tour | OneFootball

Sunderland hierarchy have underlined the importance of international fan growth to future revenues, highlighting strong opportunities in Africa alongside a pre-season tour of the United States. According to Sunderland Echo, the club cites a £200m turnover and global reach as it seeks to build overseas.

They travel to the US this summer ahead of a new Premier League campaign that will also bring Europa League football after a seventh-place finish on their top-flight return under Regis Le Bris. The focus featured at the mid-May Supporters’ Collective Meeting, attended by interim CEO Tom Burwell, director of football Florent Ghisolfi, senior staff and various fan groups.

Sunderland’s ties with Africa date to 2012, when not-for-profit Invest in Africa became shirt sponsor, a partnership promoting business across the continent. Meeting minutes noted the US is a difficult market to crack, but the club sees a distinctive African connection. They recorded that Sunderland had a greater AFCON representation than any other Premier League club and that many commercial talks involve African companies.

The minutes also stressed the matchday experience at the Stadium of Light is distinctive, and that staying rooted in the local community remains essential. The club intends to share what Sunderland represents worldwide while keeping that connection.

The Black Cats will base themselves initially in Nashville, Tennessee, for a week, then face Liverpool at Geodis Park on Saturday 25 July. They will then meet Leeds United in Harrison, New Jersey, on Thursday 30 July at Sports Illustrated Stadium, the home ground of New York Red Bulls and Gotham FC. The tour concludes in Chester, Pennsylvania, against Phil Parkinson’s Wrexham at Subaru Park on Sunday, the second of August.

Source: Sunderland Echo