ABBYY Joined Arsenal Women in Kicking Off Historic US Tour
Ulf Persson
September 20, 2024
The first year of partnership between ABBYY and Arsenal Women has been nothing short of extraordinary. From collaborations such as the supporter-favorite Let’s Get Real content series to Beth Mead’s and Martin Keown's inspiring appearance at the ABBYY AI Summit in London, it has been a profound pleasure to pursue excellence and innovation alongside the Arsenal organisation.
It was very heartening to see Arsenal Women gain such powerful momentum in their most recent season, selling out Emirates Stadium in back-to-back matches and breaking WSL attendance records three times over. While some organisations might rest on their laurels after accomplishing such impressive feats, Arsenal Women continued to inspire by taking this momentum to an international stage: their first-ever pre-season tour in the United States.
I had the privilege to join Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer of Arsenal, as well as Cognosante CEO Michele Kang for an event at the UK Deputy Head of Mission’s residence in Washington D.C. to kick off the tour with a friendly match against Washington Spirits.
The Gunners left Audi Field with an exciting 2-1 win over the Spirits, however their success and continued innovation are not exclusive to the pitch.
The event featured a panel (moderated by football analyst Christine Cupo) that explored the trajectory of growth and viability in women’s sports – a future that ABBYY is proud to support as the official intelligent automation partner of Arsenal Women. Their staggering 93% increase in average match attendance over the 2022/23 season was the result of rigorous testing, adaptation, and an unyielding determination to elevate the game to a higher plane and wider audience.
And elevate it they have; Arsenal Women has announced that 11 women’s matches will be played at Emirates Stadium this season, promising increasingly electric supporter environments and a high likelihood of further record-setting WSL match attendance.
Whether it’s on the pitch, in the office, or beyond, ABBYY is proud to support Arsenal Women in upholding their commitment to innovation. Arsenal has repeatedly demonstrated their drive to evolve and strengthen the connection between AI technology and the women’s game, and we look forward to the future of this empowering partnership.
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