When an NFL player is pulled over for driving under the influence, it often leads to mass frustration, befuddlement and consternation from both fans and media. The thinking often goes something like, This man is a millionaire. If he's out partying, why doesn't he just hire a driver?
A unique partnership between on-demand car service Uber and the NFL Players Association wants to make it simple for players to call a ride home. Uber will offer free rides in exchange for publicity and the potential to tap a new and lucrative consumer base.
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The first-of-its-kind partnership, announced Wednesday, will operate in the 17 NFL cities where Uber operates. Every active player will receive a $200 ride credit.
“Uber prides itself on finding creative solutions to difficult challenges and being able to use our platform to create a safer environment for players and their communities was a natural fit,” Uber co-founder and CEO Travis Kalanick said in a statement. “Many professional athletes love and have used Uber organically, so this was a great opportunity to help raise awareness about our technology while helping the NFLPA tackle a serious issue.” The deal's a clear win for both parties. The NFLPA gets credit for taking some measure to address a serious issue in pro sports, as detailed in this Sports Illustrated feature on athletes and drunk driving. With 32 NFL teams carrying 53 players each, the $200 ride credits essentially amount, as Lev Naginsky notes, to a $350,000 ad buy from Uber. For a bit of do-gooder PR coupled with exposure to new and quite wealthy group of customers, that's not a bad deal.
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