Winning Drive: Dolphins Sign Deal With Uber That Includes Dedicated Parking Lot

The Dolphins have signed a ground-breaking partnership with Uber to become the first NFL team to integrate the ride-sharing app company's drivers into a stadium’s transportation mix. The deal, which will be announced at Hard Rock Stadium this afternoon, creates an Uber lot on the Hard Rock Stadium grounds. Uber is also integrated into the team’s new experiment to offer tailgating services. “Transportation is changing, a lot of 25 year olds aren't buying cars,” said Dolphins President & CEO Tom Garfinkel, who began talks about the deal over a year ago during a three-hour meeting with Uber Founder & CEO Travis Kalanick. “We want to be thinking with the renovation of the stadium what transportation in and out of these events is going to look like not just today but in five years, and this is a big step towards that.” The Dolphins are in the midst of a $500M stadium renovation, and Garfinkel said one of the principal complaints from fans is the traffic coming to and from the stadium. His hope is that Uber can reduce some of the traffic woes. The Uber lot, which is available starting with Thursday's preseason game, is an outer one adjacent to the Florida Turnpike. The lot can accommodate 150 drivers at a time.  A promenade leads to the stadium and is the equivalent of two to three city blocks in length. Uber has been dropping off and picking up at Dolphins games in previous years, but like with other stadiums, the cars had to be off premises. The Dolphins are also setting aside 20 tailgate spots for “UberTailgate.” For either $250 or $350 (depending on the attractiveness of the game), fans will get all their non-food tailgate supplies, including a tent, grill, cooler, furniture and water. They can bring their own food, or buy the supplies at a special convenience store next to the lot. The price of the Uber is included for tailgate customers. This service, which can only be bought using Uber, is available with the first regular-season home game on Sept. 25. The expectation is for the tailgate function to grow quickly from the 20 spots in future years, Garfinkel said.

MORE DETAILS OF THE DEAL: There are traditional sponsorship elements to the Dolphins' Uber deal, including digital signage within and outside the stadium, and social and digital branding through Dolphins media outlets. Garfinkel declined to comment on terms, other than to say it is a multiyear contract and includes a compensation component paid to the team. An Uber spokesperson declined comment. The deal is for all Hard Rock Stadium events, though the tailgate service is only for Dolphins games. In discussing a potential Uber deal a year ago, Garfinkel noted the advantage the team has in owning the stadium and surrounding land. Teams that are not in such a position could have a tougher time replicating such a contract. A source said the bigger potential for Uber may be colleges and universities, though the company expects a lot of incoming queries from pro sports teams after the Dolphins deal is announced. Uber recently struck a deal with Monumental Sports & Entertainment for Verizon Center, though this is primarily a marketing arrangement and does not set aside transportation assets. Uber also had a role in Super Bowl 50 in Santa Clara, which is in the region where the ride sharing app company is based.