Sunderland chairman Ellis Short originally agreed to extensive, behind-the-scenes filming in the summer of 2017 on the basis it would attract potential investors.

[7] Promoting Sunderland 'til I Die on The Totally Football League Show in December 2018, Pearlman and Turner cast doubt on the veracity of these reports, suggesting there had been: "a lot of two plus two equals five going on".

[15] The production company were joined by local media, Sunderland players and staff, and a group of 200 season ticket holders who had been selected from a draw.

The opening titles were created by Alchemy Studio and feature icons from Sunderland's industrial past, with the song "Shipyards" by the Sunderland-based band The Lake Poets.

"[22] Writing for The Independent, Alex Hess again drew comparisons to All or Nothing, suggesting that, unlike the "weirdly bland affair" which followed Manchester City's unrelenting success, the dismal failure of Sunderland's season made for "triumphant TV".

[23] The Newcastle-based Evening Chronicle gave the series a positive five-star review describing it as "so much more than just a tale of woe" and praising the show's focus on the fans.

[29] Writing for Decider, Scott Hines compared the first season of Sunderland 'Til I Die to the likes of Gimme Shelter or 9/11 as a case in which "you start making a movie about one thing, and something entirely different happens".

"[30] The third season was described by Richard Jolly of The Independent as "giving viewers a happy ending as the long-suffering stars of the show, the Sunderland fans, remain at its emotional heart".