Airbnb Will Let a Handful of Users Play Gladiator in the Colosseum

Airbnb is offering users a chance to play gladiator in the real Roman Colosseum. Veuer’s Matt Hoffman reports.

Transcript

00:00Airbnb is offering users a chance to play Gladiator in the real Roman Colosseum.

00:05The rental platform announced Wednesday that it is opening applications to a contest

00:09in which 32 total winners will get to visit the ancient amphitheater after dark and fight in it,

00:14presumably not to the death.

00:16The contest is a tie-in with the new film Gladiator 2.

00:19According to the AP, the offer is part of a $1.5 million sponsorship deal

00:23with which Airbnb will help renew an educational program in the Colosseum.

00:27But the deal is not without controversy.

00:30The AP quotes Alberto Campayla of the non-profit Nonaroma as calling the offer touristification

00:36and saying platforms like Airbnb are literally driving people out of not only the city center,

00:41but also the outskirts and suburban neighborhoods.

00:44Airbnb has also been criticized in recent years for allowing rental listings

00:48in Israeli settlements in the West Bank, which are illegal under international law.