Magic-Uber deal brings ride sharing to Amway
The Orlando Magic will set aside a dropoff and pickup lot at Amway Center only for Uber passengers.
Located at the corner of South Hughey Avenue and West Pine Street — about a block north of the arena’s trademark illuminated spire — the lot will be available before and after games, starting Jan. 16 when Orlando plays Minnesota.
The Magic spoke with multiple ride-hailing companies before choosing Uber, Magic CEO Alex Martins said, declining to provide details.
In what amounts to a sponsorship agreement between the two companies, the Magic will incorporate Uber into their app. That will allow season-ticket holders to pay for Uber rides using Magic Money, which ticket holders can earn by selling unused game tickets back to the team.
“With all of this construction on I-4, it can take the stress out of coming to Amway Center,” Martins said. “It gives us the opportunity to make it easier on the fans in a downtown area where sometimes, depending on events, parking can be limited.”
The deal will be Uber’s first major partnership in Central Florida, the company’s Florida general manager Kasra Moshkani said.
“It’s an opportunity to work with the Magic as downtown Orlando continues to develop,” he said, noting that ridership in the area has increased.
Other Florida teams that have partnered with Uber are the Dolphins, Heat and Marlins in Miami, the Florida Panthers in Sunrise and the Tampa Bay Lightning.
The move comes shortly after the Florida Legislature and Gov. Rick Scott signed a bill that preempted local regulations of ridefor-hire app companies like Uber and Lyft. The bill, which was fought by taxi and limousine companies, set minimum levels for of insurance coverage and required background checks for drivers.
Moshkani said the statewide regulation opened up opportunities to pursue more local deals.
“We try to be as local as possible,” he said.
The Magic-Uber deal grows a digital presence the team has focused on the last several years.
“It increases our focus on technology, which is a priority of ours in particular as it relates to the fan experience overall,” Martins said.
The team was one of the first in sports to develop an app for the Apple Watch platform and in late 2014 was the first to accept payments using Apple Pay.
The next year, 900 beacons were installed at Amway Center to direct fans to concession stands, exits and merchandise shops within the mobile app.
“The majority of what we do and how we interact is done with mobile devices,” he said. “We need to be able to react to that and be at the forefront of providing that level of service to our fans.”