The Atlanta Falcons and New Orleans Saints have a bitter NFL rivalry, playing each other twice per season in the NFC South division.
No matter which team wins, though, Mercedes-Benz will likely be smiling. According to Sports Business Daily, the German luxury auto manufacturer has agreed to acquire naming rights to the Falcons' new stadium, which is scheduled to open in 2017. It will officially sign the contract Friday, Aug. 21, and expects to announce the partnership Monday, Aug. 24.
The news comes after the company already agreed to a 10-year naming rights deal for the Mercedes-Benz Superdome stadium, home of the Saints, in 2011. Mercedes is the only company that will bear two stadiums' names in the NFL.
So, essentially, Mercedes will be maximizing the reach of its name in the South, especially beginning in 2017 with two NFL teams' stadiums in the same division bearing its name. It's strategically timed, too, considering Mercedes moved its United States' headquarters to Atlanta earlier this year and is doubling up with a new automotive facility in 2017, the same year the Falcons' new stadium expects to open.
The Falcons' new $1.5 billion stadium with a retractable roof is still being built by Hunt Construction and Holder Construction. Design renderings of the stadium show a 360-degree video screen circling the top.
The stadium will also be used as the home turf of the Atlanta United FC, a new Major League Soccer franchise, which is also owned by Falcon's owner Arthur Blank. Sports Business Daily says the stadium will play host to the 2020 NCAA men's Final Four, while Atlanta competes to host future Super Bowls and College Football Playoff games at the stadium as well.
What a coup for Mercedes-Benz!
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