The NFL yesterday confirmed the long-awaited acquisition of the Denver Broncos by the Walton-Penner led consortium, who are the heirs to the Walmart supermarket chain.
The Walton-Penner group are confirmed as the new owners of the three-time Super Bowl champions, with a record franchise price tag of $4.65billion thought to be the agreed figure.
The final vote needed at least three-quarters, or 24 of the league’s 32 owners to ratify the sale, although NFL commissioner Roger Goodell said approval had been unanimous.
Rob Walton, the heir to Walmart and the 19th richest person on the planet is joined by daughter, Carrie Walton Penner; his son-in-law, Greg Penner and Mellody Hobson, the current Starbucks chairwoman.
Limited partners also include Condoleeza Rice, the former U.S. Secretary of State and Sir Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time Formula One champion who recently joined last week.
A new era begins.
Welcome to #BroncosCountry, Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group — let’s go win some championships! pic.twitter.com/rqxcCQoUfM
— Denver Broncos (@Broncos) August 9, 2022
“We are grateful for the support and trust of the National Football League and the 31 other teams with today’s vote,” Rob Walton said in a statement Tuesday.
“It’s a responsibility and privilege to serve as stewards of such an iconic franchise. We have tremendous respect for what Pat Bowlen has meant to the Broncos and look forward to building on this organization’s championship legacy.”
Walton added: “While we’re deeply committed to fielding a great team to win Super Bowls, our family and extraordinary partners are also dedicated to our off-the-field responsibilities to Broncos Country and the Rocky Mountain region.
“Operating with integrity and accountability, we aim to draw on our individual strengths and those of the players, coaches and staff who have shaped the Broncos’ storied history. And to that end, we want to thank Joe Ellis for his guidance throughout this process and his willingness to serve as an advisor to ownership for this season.
CEO Joe Ellis, who has been a mainstay in the Broncos hierarchy, announced that he will take on an advisory role to the new ownership for upcoming season. Ellis has been involved with Denver for the past 27 seasons.
The previous record for an American sports franchise was broken two years ago in MLB after the New Yorks Mets were purchased for $2.4bn.
Meanwhile, the NFL record is less than half of what the Walton-Penner group paid for the Broncos, with $2.275bn splashed out on the Carolina Panthers in 2018.
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