Image via Uber Newsroom
Not only is Super Bowl 50 celebrating a milestone, but transportation company Uber is celebrating a Super Bowl first for this year’s big game.
Uber, founded in 2009, is an app that connects riders to drivers with a click of a button. The company is based in San Francisco, which is conveniently only an hour from Santa Clara and Levi’s Stadium, home of Super Bowl 50.
“This year’s game is in our backyard, and we want to make sure Bay Area residents and fans from all over the world can easily get to the action at the tap of a button for the smoothest Super Bowl experience yet,” Head of Uber Business Development and Experiential Marketing Amy Friedlander said to The Verge.
At previous Super Bowls, companies like Uber were banned from dropping off and picking up fans. The ban was put in place to help reduce congestion around the stadium.
But now, Uber is providing up to $500,000 in cash and services to be a sponsor and the exclusive ride-hail service to Super Bowl 50. This means that competitor company, Lyft, and other ride-sharing services will not be allowed into the game.
Red Lot 5 will be the designated pick-up and drop-off area that is located about 15 minutes from Levi’s Stadium. Users can be dropped off and picked up before, during and after the game. The app will direct users to the a rider hang out area were users can wait while requesting their rides.
Other transportation options to the football game include taxis, public transportation, private vehicles or the Fan Express, a $55 express bus that will shuttle ticketholders to and from the stadium from the Bay Area.
This is not the first time Uber has worked its way into football events. The Jacksonville Jaguars partnered with Uber in 2015 to promote ticket sales. As more people use Uber, both professional and collegiate teams should look into not only creating deals for fans, but creating easier access to games.
