Arsenal continues to build its commercial strategy by targeting year-round fan interaction across Meta’s WhatsApp and Facebook.
Arsenal has partnered with Meta to turn WhatsApp and Facebook into digital touchpoints to support the club’s fan strategy.
The global partnership, announced on 9 April, will see the Premier League club develop new content across both platforms, including exclusive updates via an official WhatsApp Channel and activity on its Facebook page.
“Our partnership with Meta builds on how our supporters already come together, wherever they are in the world, and will create more ways to feel closer and more connected to our club,” said Juliet Slot, Chief Commercial Officer at Arsenal.
As part of the deal, the club and Meta have released an “it’s official” campaign film across channels, aiming to highlight how supporters interact before, during and after matches through messaging, group discussions and shared content.
The agreement will also include in-stadium activations at the Emirates throughout April, in addition to opportunities for supporters to access match tickets through Facebook communities.
The ‘always-on’ era of fandom
Arsenal’s partnership with Meta aligns with existing behaviour of its supporters, where fans use social media continuously across a season and not just during matches.
“We know that being an Arsenal supporter doesn’t start at kick-off and end at the final whistle,” said Vivian Odior, Head of Marketing, Family of Apps at Meta.
“WhatsApp and Facebook are where that year-round passion lives – the transfer speculation, the tactical debates, the shared memories and hopes for next season.”
As a result, social media has become the home of fan engagement, featuring highlights, short-form video, community discussions and supporter-led content. This trend has turned digital platforms into important networks for maintaining relevance between fixtures.
This has been a key focus for other clubs like Liverpool FC, which has prioritised digital growth in recent years, generating 1.7 billion social engagements and 13 billion video views in the 2024/25 season.
Speaking to Insider Sport last year, the club’s former VP of Media Matthew Quinn highlighted the role of social platforms in reaching global audiences and expanding into new markets.
Arsenal’s partnership with Meta routes these interactions through official channels, creating an engagement model that helps the club measure data and use it to improve its commercial strategy.
Why Arsenal chose Meta
Research from Meta Platforms’ Beyond the Highlights report in 2025, produced with National Research Group, found that 96% of fans use Meta platforms before, during and after live sporting events.
This consistency points to the behaviour mentioned by Odior, where fan interaction is no longer confined to kick-off or final whistle.
The report also suggests Meta platforms are becoming the primary destination for sports content, with 60% of fans identifying them as their most trusted source. This places the apps ahead of YouTube at 40%, traditional TV at 29% and dedicated sports streaming platforms at 21%.
This mix of reach, consistency and format diversity offers an opportunity to capture engagement across multiple touchpoints under just a single deal for Arsenal, which Slot explained is important to compete for trophies.
“As we continue to compete to win major trophies, partnerships like this play an important role in supporting that ambition and strengthening our connection with supporters,” she said.
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