How Uber Bought a Football Club’s Name and Turned It Into UberLANDIA

How Uber entered the world of football with a stroke of marketing genius

Sports has been overtaken by naming rights: Barcelona’s Nou Camp is now Spotify Nou Camp, the old Staples Center is the Crypto Arena, Aston Martin’s F1 team is the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team, and there’s literally a football club called Red Bull Salzburg. Fans don’t like this giant takeover of naming rights.

Uber saw that and found a small club in Brazil called Uberlandia. They bought the naming rights and simply inserted their own name into the club’s own name, from Uberlandia to UberLANDIA, without changing the team name at all. It’s now one of the few clubs in the world without a sponsor name on the front of its jersey, fans even created a signature “steering wheel celebration,” and even after the sponsorship deal ends, the brand name stays etched into the team’s name forever.

1. How Uber entered the world of football with a stroke of marketing genius

2. But first, the context. Let’s go.

3. Sports has been overtaken by naming rights. Barcelona’s iconic stadium, Nou Camp, is now called Spotify Nou Camp.

4. Staples Center which was home to the LA Lakers is now called the Crypto Arena.

5. It isn’t just Aston Martin, it is actually the Aston Martin Aramco Formula One Team

6. There’s literally a football club called Red Bull Salzburg

7. And fans don’t like this giant takeover of naming rights by brands.

8. Uber saw that. And they found a small club in Brazil call Uberlandia.

9. They bought the naming rights of the club, and changed its name. From UBERLANDIA TO UberLANDIA

10. They inserted their own name, without changing the name of the club.

11. In fact, this front section of the jersey which hosts the sponsor logo. They simply inserted the team name there.

12. And Uberlandia is now one the few teams in the world which doesn’t have the sponsor name on the front of its jersey.