Uber will be the exclusive ride-hail service of Super Bowl 50 after signing on to join the Super Bowl committee alongside fellow Californian-based tech company Apple.

Under the deal, Uber drivers will have access to a dedicated zone around the stadium to drop fans off and pick them up after the event. In a US-first, the partnership seems to be very similar to the one that Uber France signed with Lyon’s new stadium a few weeks ago..

However, the partnership has come at a premium cost for Uber who has reportedly invested US$500,000 in cash and services for the privilege, an investment that no other competitor could match.

It is a vast u-turn from the Super Bowl Committee who banned companies like Uber transporting fans in previous years. And it is very much indicative of the changing public perception toward tech companies like Uber. According to the official line out of the NFL, the ban was removed in order to ease traffic around the stadium.

Uber’s Head of Business Development and Experiential Marketing Amy Friedlander said that it was important for the company to support this event, played at Levi’s Stadium in California, just one hour from Uber’s HQ in San Francisco.

“This year’s game is in our backyard, and we want to make sure San Francisco Bay Area residents and fans from all over the world can easily get to the action at the tap of a button for the smoothest Super Bowl experience yet,” she said.