Charlton Athletic and Sunderland are joining forces in an attempt to break the virtual attendance record in League One this season.
The two sides packed out Wembley stadium in 2019 when 76,155 supporters watched an enthralling play-off final and meet again at the Stadium of Light on April 10th.
After a turbulent few years for both clubs, now with new ownership, new managers and new streaming services the two teams have stability and are regularly amongst the top six most-watched sides in the EFL based on streaming passes sold.
The current highs for UK passes sold by two teams for an individual game this season are:
- League One: 10,363
- EFL – weekend: 15,318
- EFL – midweek: 19,560
Charlton Owner Thomas Sandgaard said: “Charlton and Sunderland have two of the most passionate fanbases in the EFL. The two teams have played in some famous games and there is a real respect between the two sets of supporters. Hopefully by joining together we can break a record for this season and show that both these two historic clubs are on the way back.
“I am very confident next week’s game can become the highest streamed game in League One this season. The target of becoming the highest streamed game in the EFL is ambitious and would involve both sides selling a club-record amount of streaming passes but with these two fanbases anything is possible.”
Sunderland's Chief Operating Officer Steve Davison said: “Throughout the club’s time in League One, our supporters have been outstanding. Home and away, they have broken many attendance-related records and despite an incredibly challenging 12 months, they have continued to support the club by backing the team from home in week in, week out. It’s a huge shame that they will not be at the Stadium of Light during the final run-in, but as always, they have a big part to play and I’m sure the team will continue to feel their support from afar.”
Charlton will be running a special hour-long pre-show ahead of game, hosted by Charlton TV presenter Scott Minto, who will be joined by Alan Curbishley and a variety of former and current Addicks will also form part of the show either live or pre-recorded. Supporters can purchase a pass for the game by clicking here.