German Auto manufacturer Mercedez-Benz has signed a deal to rename the New Orleans Superdome. The stadium will now be renamed Mercedest-Benz Superdome.
During the next 16-months Mercedes will be associated with the New Orleans Saints as well as men’s college basketball and several college championships.
The New Orleans Saints hold a lease over the stadium through 2025 and own the option to sell naming rights for the 73,000-seat stadium.
According to Gov. Bobby Jindal Mercedez-Benz and the New Orleans Saints have asked that the pricing for the 10-year naming rights not be disclosed to the public.
Mercedez-Benz also owns the naming rights for stadiums in Stuttgart, Germany and Shanghai.
Speaking about the agreement Jindal noted that it’s “a great partnership between two world-class organizations.”
Superdome manager Doug Thornton says that by adding new revenue in the form of new seats, luxury boxes and expanded concession stands along with the naming contract the states $13.8 million agreed upon payment each year has been pushed down to zero.
I completely understand why sports teams sell the naming rights for their stadiums but let’s be honest for a moment, New Orleans Saints fans won’t be calling it the “Mercedez-Benz Superdome anytime soon, regardless of what the stadiums sign reads.
