Mercedes Benz is not going to extend its sponsorship of the Superdome in New Orleans, according to Forbes Magazine.
"There will be a new name on the world-renowned arena," Christopher Dodson reports.
The writing has been on the wall since Mercedes also bought the naming rights for the new stadium in Atlanta.
"Now that Mercedes-Benz has chosen to focus on their sponsorship of the new stadium built for the Atlanta Falcons and Atlanta United, the Saints again have a unique opportunity to offer a leading business partner. There is no need for the high-end automobile company to sponsor half of the NFC South," Dodson wrote.
There is no early word on potential companies to buy Superdome naming rights, but Forbes says it is a good investment. The current deal runs until 2021.
"According to stats from Meltwater the Saints have shown Forbes, NFL stadiums receive an average of 29,270 media mentions per season. The Mercedes-Benz Superdome receives an average of 40,064 mentions (27% higher)."
Dodson notes that while the Superdome is in the smallest NFL market, it gets more attention.
That's in part because of the Saints wide fan appeal across the country and prime time or nationwide games... and of course because the Superdome hosts a large number of other events from Super Bowls and College Football Championships to Final Fours and other events.
"Mercedes-Benz was the first company to buy the naming rights to the Superdome. Even in these tough economic times, there should be many other brands willing to commit to such an investment, even for the NFL’s smallest market. The opportunity to become the naming rights sponsor for the Superdome is a proven way to connect with an engaged, passionate audience."
