Revealed: The staggering number of streams purchased for Sunderland AFC's opening fixtures

Over 23,000 streams of Sunderland’s opening three League One fixtures were watched – making them one of the most-viewed clubs in the EFL.
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While game-by-game figures are released at the discretion of clubs, the EFL have revealed some headline viewership figures from the opening month of the season.

And the data, seen by The Echo, shows that the Black Cats are unsurprisingly leading the way when it comes to streams in League One – and are even out-stripping a number of Championship clubs when it comes to viewership numbers.

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In total, 386,700 streams were viewed across 106 games in the opening month of the season with over 23,000 views coming through Sunderland’s games with Hull City, Oxford United and Peterborough United. That means roughly six per cent of all streams purchased across the entire EFL were linked to the Black Cats.

Revealed: The staggering number of streams purchased for Sunderland AFC's opening fixturesRevealed: The staggering number of streams purchased for Sunderland AFC's opening fixtures
Revealed: The staggering number of streams purchased for Sunderland AFC's opening fixtures

Indeed, Sunderland’s game against Peterborough was the most-watched game in League One during the opening month of the season, attracting 8,617 viewers.

These may seem like fairly small numbers, but context is required.

While over 23,000 streams were viewed, the actual number of people watching will have been far higher – given the fact that multiple people can be watching one stream.

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These views translate into income for Sunderland, who pocket a share of the £10 fee paid for each stream.

In League One, streaming revenue is divided between the clubs using a formula based upon how many away fans would have attended each fixture, meaning the Black Cats benefit from away games too.

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