The Saints will search for a naming-rights partner for just the second time in the Superdome's 45-year historyGETTY IMAGES
Saints VP/Communications Greg Bensel said that the process of finding a new Superdome naming-rights partner is "already underway," according to Jeff Adelson of NOLA.com. Bensel confirmed that Mercedes-Benz "won't renew the naming rights to the Superdome" set to expire in July '21. The end to the agreement "has set off a search for another sponsor." The search marks "just the second time in the Superdome's 45-year history that its naming rights have been up for grabs, and will end an unusual three years" in which the Saints and NFC South division rival Falcons "both played in stadiums with the same sponsor." The process of picking a new sponsor "will be up to the Saints," not the Louisiana Stadium & Exposition District, the state entity "often known as the Superdome Commission that owns the Dome." Bensel "declined to say how much the Saints believed the naming rights are now worth." Superdome Commission Chair Kyle France alluded in November to the "possibility that a naming decision would be coming up" while discussing the $450M in renovations that are currently ongoing at the stadium (NOLA.com, 5/19).
MORE THAN JUST MONEY: FORBES' Christopher Dodson noted Mercedes-Benz has "chosen to focus its sponsorship on the new stadium built" for the Falcons and Atlanta United. It was "obvious the Saints are asking for more than just money for a sign on the stadium." The Saints "will ask the next naming rights sponsor to collaborate on targeted efforts impacting the Gulf Coast region, with an emphasis on education, innovation, environmental stewardship, world-class recruitment, sustainable initiatives and more." The Saints "want help from a national brand to help create a national impact" (FORBES.com, 5/19).
