Caesars Entertainment nearing deal to secure Superdome naming rights

Caesars Entertainment is nearing a deal that will make the betting house the naming rights sponsor of the Superdome for the next 20 years, The Athletic reports.

Why it matters: This would be the first gaming-related naming rights deal in the NFL, which only recently loosened restrictions on teams aligning with betting companies.

By the numbers: Caesars will reportedly pay the Saints $10 million annually for the next two decades, which is in line with what SoFi paid for the naming rights to the new Rams and Chargers stadium in Los Angeles ($20 million annually, but twice as many games).

Of note: Caesars would be just the second naming rights sponsor in the 46-year history of the Superdome. Mercedes-Benz paid roughly $5 million annually over the past decade.

The big picture: Sports betting brands like Caesars, MGM, DraftKings, FanDuel and others are becoming ubiquitous. They've been advertising for a while — now their names are on stadiums and TV networks.

• When New Orleanians go to Saints games in the future — or even just drive past the Superdome — Caesars will be front and center.
• When baseball fans watch games this year, many will be tuning into Bally's Sports — a result of the casino operator acquiring the naming rights to 21 Fox Sports regional networks (i.e. Fox Sports Detroit is now Bally's Sports Detroit).