Arsenal Chief Commercial Officer, Juliet Slot, joined ABBYY CEO Ulf Persson at a special event hosted at the UK Deputy Head of Mission’s residence in Washington D.C. on Sunday as part of Arsenal Women’s first-ever pre-season tour.
The event featured a panel focused on the growth and viability of women’s sport, moderated by presenter Christine Cupo.
Arsenal Women’s first-ever pre-season tour in the United States comes after a season of growth which saw the team set three new WSL attendance records, and achieve back-to-back WSL sell outs of Emirates Stadium. In May, we announced 11 women’s matches would be coming to N5 next season, making the Emirates our new main home of women’s football.
Speaking after the event and our 2-1 win against Washington Spirit at Audi Field, Juliet Slot said, “our women’s team’s first pre-season tour here in the US is another step forward for our club, the next chapter in our 37-year story.
“We’ve seen extraordinary growth in recent years across the game. Last season, our average attendance was up 93% on 2022/23 across all our home games, and 11% up across our Emirates matches.
“We’ve got to this point by testing and learning to adapt to a new, growing audience for the women’s game, and by an unwavering commitment at all levels across the club to keep moving the game forward.
“We’re here in Washington to continue this journey, to connect with more supporters of the women’s game around the world, and give ourselves the best possible preparation for another season of progress with Emirates Stadium as our team’s new main home.”
ABBYY, a leader in purpose-built AI, became Arsenal Women’s Official Intelligent Automation Partner nearly a year ago. Ulf Persson said, “It was a privilege to be part of this event celebrating the growth of women’s football.
“ABBYY’s partnership with Arsenal Women reflects our commitment to diversity, innovation, and empowerment both on the pitch and in the workplace. We are proud to contribute to the global momentum of women’s football, showcased by events like Arsenal Women’s U.S. tour.”
“The first year of partnership has exceeded our expectations, with a strong rise in fan attendance, player collaborations, and a thriving community. We are keen to further explore how AI technology can help advance the women’s game”.
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