The Atlanta Falcons could not keep their secret for long. After news leaked late last week that Mercedes-Benz would be their naming partner for the new Falcons stadium, the two companies held a joint press conference Monday morning at the construction site of the new stadium.
The almost 250,000 square-foot structure will be known as Mercedes-Benz Stadium. While the stadium is expected to have a capacity of just over 70,000, it can be expanded to up to 75,000 for certain events.
Falcons owner Arthur Blank opened the press conference by praising the quality that Mercedes-Benz has shown as a company and the quality of their products. He also talked about the potential future this new stadium could see.
“As you know, we are hosting the NCAA Men’s Final Four here in 2020,” Blank said. “We are bidding for the Super Bowl in 2019 and/or 2020. We are bidding for the College Football National Championship in 2018. Eventually, we hope to be bidding for the FIFA World Cup.”
The Mercedes-Benz team felt the same excitement illustrated by Blank. President and CEO Steve Cannon pointed out how this was the biggest marketing deal in the history of his company, which recently moved their headquarters from New Jersey down to Atlanta.
“I have this feeling like it is draft day and Mercedes-Benz has the number one pick,” Cannon said.
The positive impact of this stadium has already been felt by the city of Atlanta. Hundreds of new jobs are available and with Mercedes-Benz now headquartered in Atlanta, job opportunities for people in the city will continue to increase. Governor Nathan Deal expressed his gratitude for the deal.
“This is a day in which we will all look back on as a day in which we take another giant step forward in the capital city of Atlanta and in the entire state of Georgia,” Deal said.
The naming rights deal is for 27 years.
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