Mercedes-Benz gains Superdome name rights

NEW ORLEANS, Oct. 3 (UPI) -- Mercedes-Benz has purchased the naming rights for the recently renovated Louisiana Superdome, the New Orleans Saints announced Monday.

Saints owner Tom Benson said the deal with the high-end German auto manufacturer "is a great deal for the state of Louisiana, the city of New Orleans," The (New Orleans) Times-Picayune reported.

"The Saints were eager, in our new deal with the state, to undertake seeking the right company for naming rights for the Superdome," he said. "We have found an iconic partner for an iconic building. Mercedes-Benz is a global company that can do business in any city anywhere in the world."

It's the first time in the 36-year history of the stadium it has been known as anything but the Superdome.

The football team gained the ability to sell naming rights to the state-owned stadium a part of a 15-year lease agreement it signed in 2009. An $86 million renovation of the Hurricane Katrina-damaged facility was completed this summer.

"I know for many years there have been attempts to sell this sponsorship, and I think the restructured deal and the new Superdome are two of the reasons this is actually happening," Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal said.