Sunderland extends Seriös Group data partnership deal

Seriös Group has signed a new multi-year partnership with Sunderland AFC, extending its role as the club's Data Solutions Partner and adding Associate Partner status.

The agreement deepens the existing relationship between the Newcastle-based data company and the football club. Seriös Group will continue working with Sunderland's commercial and football data departments while taking on a more prominent partnership role.

Sunderland is using Seriös ONE to bring together information from across the club's operations. The system combines data linked to commercial activity, fan engagement and football performance in one place.

This has included drawing information from multiple systems into a governed data platform. It has also given the commercial department live matchday information, provided marketing teams with a more unified view of supporters and given the football department consistent insight for match preparation, training, scouting and tactical planning.

The partnership comes as Sunderland competes in the Premier League and UEFA Europa League. Both sides said the renewed agreement reflects a wider push to develop how the club uses data across its business and football operations.

Lee Rorison, Founder and Chief Executive Officer of Seriös Group, founded the company in 2020 and is a lifelong Sunderland supporter. He said the company's work with the club has already moved beyond early-stage data projects into day-to-day operational use.

Rorison said: "Having worked closely with Sunderland AFC for several years, it's incredibly rewarding to see our relationship continue to grow through this new multi-year partnership.

"The exciting part is that we're building on data foundations already embedded in the club's commercial and football operations, and it's delivering results. Through Seriös ONE, we've brought together data from ticketing, hospitality, retail, fan engagement and football performance, giving the club a clearer view of its operations.

"Sunderland AFC has been an excellent example of what's possible when data becomes part of how a football club operates day to day. The success of our work together has reinforced our belief that data has a much bigger role to play in football, and we're increasingly engaging with clubs looking to take a similar approach.

"This next phase is about building on that success. It gives us an opportunity to continue putting the Seriös Group name alongside an iconic North East institution while demonstrating what we can do in practice.

"We're incredibly proud to continue working alongside Sunderland AFC. We've achieved a lot together already, but there are some awesome opportunities still ahead of us."

Operational use

For Sunderland, the data programme spans both revenue-focused functions and football decision-making. The club said it is using shared data to improve visibility across departments and help staff identify commercial openings and operational issues more quickly.

James Mullins, Head of Data and Technology at Sunderland, said the partnership has helped the club create stronger links between separate data sources. He described data as central to current operations.

Mullins said: "Data is now right at the centre of how we operate as a football club, and our partnership with Seriös Group has helped us build a stronger and more connected data capability across our commercial and football operations.

"We're able to bring together data from different areas of the club and turn it into meaningful insight. This means our decisions are better informed, we can identify opportunities more quickly and operate more effectively.

"Seriös Group has been a valuable partner on this journey. The team has a strong understanding of our ambitions and the complexities of working within football. This new agreement reflects the strength of the relationship and our shared ambition to keep innovating and finding new ways for data to support the club's continued growth and performance."

The club's finance leadership also linked the arrangement to broader performance management and growth objectives. Connected data is becoming more important for sports organisations handling ticketing, hospitality, retail, supporter engagement and football analysis through different systems.

Mike Papadimitriou, Chief Financial Officer at Sunderland, said: "As the club continues to grow, having high-quality, connected data is increasingly important to how we make decisions, manage performance and identify opportunities for sustainable growth.

"Seriös Group has been a strong partner in helping us build that capability, and we're pleased to extend the relationship as we continue to focus on creating greater value across the club."

Wider trend

The Sunderland deal highlights a broader movement in professional sport towards centralised data systems that serve both sporting and commercial departments. Clubs are under pressure to make better use of supporter, sales and performance information while maintaining governance over how that data is stored and shared.

Seriös Group works across sectors including financial services, technology, gaming, the built environment, retail, hospitality and sport. Sunderland's renewed agreement gives the company another public example of how its platform is being used inside a football club, with matchday operations, marketing and coaching staff all drawing from a shared pool of information.

The club's football department uses the data setup for match preparation, training, scouting and tactical planning.