Their streaming fame, as usual, preceded them. Sunderland AFC’s large traveling party hadn’t been in Nashville for 24 hours when that topic came up at morning business event:
Why, yes, this is the English soccer club from that Netflix series.
“How often do I hear (that)?” Sunderland CEO Tom Burwell said. “Every hour of every day.”
Sunderland, those docudrama darlings of the past, have been remade anew in recent years. This is no longer the struggling side of (nearly) a decade ago, and it is here on business. At 5 p.m. on July 25, it'll face Premier League rival Liverpool in an enticing preseason exhibition at Geodis Park.
Renowned Liverpool is the headliner of the two clubs, obviously. But don’t discount the popularity of those Black Cats from Sunderland.
Their following has grown substantially since the club and its soccer-mad, blue-collar, coastal city in northeast England became the subject of that brilliant documentary series that debuted in 2018.
If you are unfamiliar with Netflix’s “Sunderland ‘Til I Die,” you really should watch it. The series was highly acclaimed, and for good reason. I'd highly recommend it.
That goes for everyone, whether you are a sports fan or not. This was about a lot more than just sports.
“It taught us a lot about ourselves,” Burwell said. “… What it taught us is how we can be interesting to the world by more than just football, because it wasn't Premier League football that was selling that documentary. It was a deep-rooted story about winning and losing and the pain that goes with that for our fans.”
While England has plenty of passionate fan bases for its tradition-rich soccer clubs, Sunderland stands out. If there’s an American parallel, it might be college football in the SEC, given the generational and regional identity. It just means more, you could say, in Sunderland.
“When you sign to Sunderland,” said striker Wilson Isidor, “you cannot go at 10% or 20% (less). It's not possible. You have to go every time 100%, because you feel that (from the fans). This jersey you've got on you has got a weight.”
Fans' passion resonated through Sunderland’s documentary, but more so, this was special because it was such a story of failure. After Sunderland was relegated from England’s Premier League in 2017, a traumatic event for any fan base, the Netflix series followed the club being unthinkably relegated again in 2018, plummeting from the first-tier of English football to the second and then the third, all in back-to-back seasons.
Sporting trauma made this less a documentary series and more a work of art. Because artwork evokes emotion. It makes you feel something, and boy, did “Sunderland ‘Til I Die” bring all the feels.
From its haunting and indelible theme song (“Shipyards” by The Lake Poets) to the club’s gradual disintegration to what the losses and turmoil caused in a city, in Burwell’s words, “football is its religion,” this series didn’t let up.
The struggle was relentlessly real. That wasn't always easy to watch, but it was endearing in a way that few sports docuseries have ever been.
“I'm very grateful for it now,” Burwell said. “I will say that level of hurt, pain, interest and – to a certain extent – chaos is something that sells. I'd be quite proud of the fact that if you came and put some cameras behind the scenes at Sunderland AFC now it might not be as interesting. … What we still are is deeply rooted and connected to our community, and we'll remain as such."
Seldom would any pro sports team in any country agree to allow unfiltered access like Sunderland did for multiple years and three Netflix seasons. The series demonstrated why – who’d want their professional misery displayed to millions? – but in a long-term sense, the effort has proven to be well worth the global exposure.
An entire following for Sunderland was built. The series has “given us a wonderful platform,” Burwell said, “especially here in North America.”
And the team? Would you just see them now.
It took seven seasons, but Sunderland earned promotion back into the Premier League in 2025. During this past season, it finished seventh out of 20 teams, ahead of renowned clubs like Chelsea, Newcastle, Everton and Tottenham. It was Sunderland’s best Premier League finish in 25 years, qualifying the club for European competition in 2026-27.
Sunderland is back in the big leagues of British football, and it is thriving. Those are high hopes for the upcoming season that've carried the club to Nashville.
There's a good chance you know someone who'll be going to the match to cheer for Liverpool. If you manage to squeeze in a little Netflix beforehand, though, you might find yourself going to root for the other guys.
Reach Tennessean sports columnist Gentry Estes at gestes@tennessean.com and hang out with him on Bluesky @gentryestes.bsky.social
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Sunderland opened hearts, doors to Netflix cameras, and result was special | Estes
