Championship: Sunderland's £9m operating loss compared to Middlesbrough, Watford, Stoke City and Millwall

Sunderland made an operating loss of £9million in their first campaign back in the Championship, the club's accounts have revealed.

The Black Cats have released their annual report covering the 2022-23 campaign, which saw the club surpass all expectations on the pitch to secure a sixth-place finish in the Championship, before losing to Luton Town in the play-off semi-final. The losses have grown from the £5.1 million figure in Sunderland's promotion campaign in League One, underlining the challenge of attaining sustainability in the second tier.

Here, we look at how Sunderland’s operating loss compares to their rivals in the Championship. These figures were collated by Chris Weatherspoon from the Wise Men Say Podcast and Fair Game. Read more of his work here.

You can also read a deep-dive into Sunderland’s accounts by The Echo’s chief football writer, Phil Smith, by following this link.

Please note that these figures pertain to the 2022-23 season so include Premier League clubs like Sheffield United, Burnley and Luton Town while current League One clubs like Rotherham United, Reading and Blackpool also feature.