Seriös kicks on with Black Cats partnership

A North East data and AI specialist has strengthened its ties with Sunderland AFC through a new multi-year partnership supporting the club’s ambitions on and off the pitch.

Seriös Group will continue as Sunderland AFC’s data solutions partner while becoming an associate partner as the club competes in the Premier League and UEFA Europa League this season.

Founded by lifelong Sunderland supporter Lee Rorison, Seriös works with the club’s commercial and football data teams to help turn data into insights that support decision-making.

The renewed agreement builds on an established relationship between the two organisations and will see Seriös increase its involvement with the club.

Through its Seriös ONE platform, Sunderland is bringing data and insight from across its operations together, providing stakeholders with a clearer picture of areas including commercial activity, fan engagement and football performance.

With the platform now embedded across the club’s commercial and football operations, the partnership is designed to support further growth and enable Sunderland to respond more quickly to opportunities.

Lee 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 that are already embedded into 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 within 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.”

The multi-year agreement comes as the club looks to build on its progress both commercially and on the pitch, while making greater use of data in an increasingly technology-driven game. 

James Mullins, head of data and technology at Sunderland AFC, added: “Data is now right at the centre of how we operate as a football club, and our partnership with Seriös Group has helped us to build a stronger and more connected data capability within 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.”

Mike Papadimitriou, chief financial officer at Sunderland AFC, added: “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.”

Want your business, product or service to be seen regionally and nationally? Bdaily helps you get your story in front of the right audience, every day. Find out how Bdaily can help →

Join more than 55,000 subscribers by signing up to our daily bulletin each morning here.