Mercedes-Benz has agreed to acquire naming rights to the new Falcons stadium, according to sources familiar with the negotiations. The German automaker is expected to sign the contract today and the Falcons will officially announce the agreement Monday, sources said. Falcons officials did not respond to an e-mail requesting confirmation and the deal’s terms. Premier Partnerships brokered the agreement for the team and has been pursuing a 30-year deal averaging in the high teens annually. Premier Partnerships also did not respond to a request for comment.
The $1.5B stadium, designed by HOK, opens in '17. It will also serve as the home of Atlanta United FC, a new MLS club owned by Falcons Owner Arthur Blank. The '20 men’s Final Four is to be played in the new stadium, and the city is competing for future Super Bowls and College Football Playoffs.
Mercedes-Benz moved its U.S. HQ to Atlanta earlier this year and is building a new facility to open by '17. This marks Mercedes’ second NFL stadium — and second in the NFC South — for which it holds naming rights. The Saints in '11 announced a 10-year deal to put Mercedes’ name on the Superdome. In China, the company has held naming rights for Mercedes-Benz Arena in Shanghai since '09, one year before the building opened.
This story has been republished with permission from SportsBusiness Daily.
