Last week, the FA announced a new partnership with the global creative powerhouse, Adobe which will be the primary sponsor for the Women’s FA Cup. This collaboration is set to extend for three years until July 2026.
The Adobe Women’s FA Cup will be a journey from the intense qualifying rounds in September to the grand finale in May at the iconic Wembley Stadium, connected by EE. A key highlight is the utilization of Adobe Express, an innovative AI-first content creation app. This app promises to revolutionize the way women’s football clubs engage with their fans and market themselves. Adobe Express will ensure that designing and sharing compelling content becomes a seamless and enjoyable process for clubs, amplifying their visibility and connecting with the next generation of enthusiasts and athletes.
𝗡𝗘𝗪𝗦 | New Women's FA Cup lead sponsor announced
The FA have announced that tech giant Adobe will be the lead sponsor of the Women's FA Cup for at least three years, through to July 2026.#AdobeWFACup 🏆 pic.twitter.com/jx0YJyHiQE— Talking WoSo (@TalkingWoSo) November 23, 2023
Adobe plans to increase engagement across the Women’s FA Cup, introducing new social media channels and granting access to Adobe Express to all 460 participating clubs. The move aims to empower these clubs, regardless of their scale, to leverage content opportunities and create a stronger bond with their fan base.
When speaking on the partnership, Simon Morris - Vice President, International Marketing Adobe - said, “More recently, we felt there are so many fantastic stories that don’t get told in women’s sport and felt that this was a perfect partnership and opportunity.”
A distinctive feature of the Adobe Women’s FA Cup is its unique blend of top-tier women’s football clubs and amateur teams from diverse leagues.
“We want to tell stories, right from the grassroots communities,” he added. “And help the clubs express their stories on social, celebrate the players, celebrate the clubs, drive more interest in the game,” Morris told Marketing Week.
Last season's Women’s FA Cup final made history with a sold-out venue boasting a record crowd of 77,390. Adobe's sponsorship is not only geared towards continuing the promotion of this grand finale as the pinnacle event in the women’s football calendar but also towards elevating the earlier rounds of the competition.
Enjoy a match at the #AdobeWomensFACup today? Share your stand-out snaps! 🥳 pic.twitter.com/Z6d49ec7Pl
— Adobe Women's FA Cup (@AdobeWFACup) November 26, 2023
Baroness Sue Campbell, The FA’s Director of Women’s Football, expressed her enthusiasm about Adobe joining forces stating, “The Women’s FA Cup has grown to new heights over the last few years in parallel with the wider growth of the women’s game, and we’re delighted to have Adobe on board as we target the next phase of development for the competition.”
"We share their passion for holistically celebrating the unique characteristics that makes the Women’s FA Cup the most special and prestigious domestic cup competition in the world. With Adobe’s creative tools, used by some of the world’s biggest brands, we have a key opportunity to reach and engage new audiences for the women’s game."
As part of this collaboration, The FA will gain access to a suite of Adobe Digital Media tools, including Adobe Creative Cloud, Adobe Photoshop, Adobe Firefly, and Adobe Acrobat. This infusion of creativity aims to transform how football’s governing body connects with its growing fan base both within stadiums and in the comfort of homes.
According to Morris, “The Adobe Women’s FA Cup is about inspiring stories of clubs and players that dare to dream. Through our partnership, and by providing access and training on our industry-leading creative tools, we want to put those magic moments into the spotlight, helping the clubs, players, and fans tell their stories in ever more creative ways, as well as motivate the next generation of players and supporters of the women’s game.”
