Gaming company Caesars Entertainment is reportedly poised to acquire naming rights to the Mercedes-Benz Superdome, home of the NFL’s New Orleans Saints, in a deal that would be worth $200m (£146m/€169m) over 20 years.
The Athletic, citing sources familiar with the matter, reported that talks were recently held between Saints owner Gayle Benson and Caesars representatives to finalise the deal.
The Superdome has been sponsored by German automotive manufacturer Mercedes-Benz since 2011 but it was confirmed last May that the company would not be extending its deal when it expires this year.
In September, the Saints appointed Oak View Group to sell naming rights for the Superdome. It had been hoped that a new deal could be struck by July, when the Mercedes-Benz agreement expires, and Caesars appears to have emerged as the leading contender.
Greg Bensel, the Saints’ senior vice-president of communications, told The Athletic that the team does not have “anything official” to report as no deal has been signed with any company, adding that talks will continue with “numerous interested parties”.
Kate Whitely, a spokesperson for Caesars, told The Athletic: “Caesars Entertainment has long had strong ties to New Orleans, the state of Louisiana, and the entire Gulf Coast region. We are proud of our continued partnership with both the Saints and the Pelicans. However, we have nothing to share beyond our current, valuable relationship with the teams.”
Mercedes-Benz’s 10-year deal with the Saints was reportedly worth between $50m and $60m. The company also sponsors Mercedes-Benz Stadium, the home of rival NFL team the Atlanta Falcons.
Caesars would become only the second naming-rights sponsor in the history of the Superdome, which opened in 1965. The stadium has hosted the Super Bowl on seven previous occasions, most recently in 2013, and will do so again in 2024.
The Superdome is currently undergoing extensive renovation work worth $450m ahead of the 2024 Super Bowl and in January the team shared further details on the next phase of improvements.
Image: Phil Roeder/CC BY 2.0/Edited for size
