Sunderland AFC has appointed Delaware North UK as its hospitality and foodservice partner at the Stadium of Light, in a landmark long-term deal announced on the club’s site ahead of the 2025/26 Premier League season.
For Wearside matchday workers, this is the contract that sits behind concourse kiosks, bars, premium lounges and the stadium’s concert and events calendar – not a club careers listing.
What Delaware North is taking on
The agreement covers food and beverage and elevated service across general admission and premium spaces for:
- Premier League and cup matchdays
- concerts and major events
- year-round stadium hospitality
Delaware North and SAFC also committed to a significant seven-figure investment in the Stadium of Light’s concourses – described as the biggest spend in that part of the ground since it opened in 1997. The early focus is refurbished concourse environments, a wider drinks offer, collaborations with local vendors, and new technology aimed at speeding up service for a top-flight crowd.
Sunderland Chief Business Officer David Bruce said the partnership would take general admission and premium experiences “to a new level”, with “innovation and technology ensuring speed and service excellence”. Doug Tetley, Managing Director of Delaware North UK, called the Stadium of Light “a special place with a passionate fanbase” and said the goal was memorable moments for every supporter through the gates.
Why the timing matters
This is not a quiet mid-table refresh. Sunderland are stepping back into the Premier League, which typically means bigger crowds, denser half-time peaks and more premium covers. Incoming operators almost always need a larger casual workforce than the outgoing Championship calendar demanded – especially when a concourse rebuild is happening at the same time.
Delaware North already runs major London contracts at the Emirates Stadium and London Stadium. Adding Wearside expands that UK football footprint and gives existing Delaware North casuals another venue to ask about once they are established.
What this means if you work (or want to work) matchdays at the Stadium of Light
- Apply to Delaware North, not SAFC. The club hosts the match; Delaware North hires the hospitality and catering workforce. Use the Delaware North careers portal and search for Stadium of Light / Sunderland rather than the club site alone.
- Expect a hiring wave before the season opener. New operators want supervisors, bartenders, kiosk teams and premium hospitality staff in place for the first home fixture. Summer 2025 was the window; ongoing casual recruitment usually continues through the campaign as concerts and cup ties land.
- Concerts keep the calendar busy. Because the deal covers events as well as football, Stadium of Light shifts are not limited to Saturday 3pm – useful if you want more hours than a football-only ground of similar size.
The bigger picture
Contract changes like this are exactly why we tell applicants to follow the operator, not the badge. The Stadium of Light stays Sunderland’s home; the company that pays the matchday F&B team is now Delaware North.
We’ve updated our Stadium of Light and Delaware North UK profiles to reflect the partnership.
Source: Sunderland AFC, 2 July 2025.
