Exterior photo of Sports Authority Field at Mile High. Home of the Denver Broncos. 

Image Credit: David Herrera (CC BY 2.0)

After filing for bankruptcy in 2016, sporting goods retailer Sports Authority struggled to live up to it’s naming rights agreement with the Denver Broncos and Mile High Stadium. The partnership was plagued with delinquent payments so the Denver Broncos organization terminated the agreement. Joe Ellis, team President, was hopeful that the team would be able to secure a new naming rights agreement with a new corporate sponsor by the start of the 2017 NFL season. However, the right partner has yet to present itself.

The Denver Broncos did receive a public offer from a marijuana dispensary company for the stadium’s naming rights. It’s highly unlikely that the company could afford the money that the Denver Broncos are commanding but it made for a good laugh. The stadium was previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High Stadium before Sports Authority assumed the naming rights in 2011. The Denver Broncos even went as far as hiring WME-IMG as a consultant to help find a new naming rights partner. For now, the stadium will remain Sports Authority Field at Mile High Stadium despite the fact that Sports Authority has closed all of it’s stores nationwide. According to Ellis, the Broncos did not want to re-brand as an unnamed stadium only to re-brand under a different name when a new naming rights agreement was signed. All of the original Sports Authority signage still remains at the stadium as well. 

Ellis also went on to comment on the necessity for the Denver Broncos to upgrade Sports Authority Field in order to stay competitive with the rest of the National Football League. Teams such as the Minnesota Vikings and San Francisco 49ers have new stadiums and offer a better fan experience than some of the older NFL stadiums. Denver Broncos fans should expect for talks about upgrading the stadium to begin as soon as new naming rights agreement is signed. The upgrades could consist of new scoreboards, sound systems and ribbon boards as well as improvements to the restrooms, concessions, suites and club areas. 

 

Reference:

DenverPost.com 

 

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