NFL’s richest owner branded ’embarrassing’ as fans fund new stadium despite $130bn fortune

The Denver Broncos have suggested a privately-funded new stadium project will ‘likely’ include the sale of personal seat licenses (PSLs).

Early plans have been shared for a state-of-the-art, $4 billion facility, which would see the team move from Empower Field at Mile High to Burnham Yard.

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The Broncos want to open their new stadium, which will feature a roof and be built without taxpayer money, in time for the 2031 season.

But to keep things on track, the team will need a little help from fans.

“It seems like it’s a pretty likely thing to happen, but we haven’t made any formal decisions on that,” Broncos president Damani Leech said, discussing PSLs on Saturday, according to the Denver Post.

PSLs are one-time licenses that give the buyer the right to purchase season tickets for specific seats, and can contribute to the funding of a new stadium.

They are commonplace in the NFL, and have been part of most projects completed in recent years.

However, some see PSLs as yet another way to increase the cost that fans must pay to attend modern events, which price many out.

The Buffalo Bills generated around $260 million by selling them for the new Highmark Stadium, which will host its first ever regular-season game in Week 2.

Broncos slammed for ’embarrassing’ stadium decision by fans

Following Leech’s suggestion, fans have questioned why the Broncos will need PSLs, given owner Rob Walton is the richest in the league.

The heir to the Walmart fortune led the purchase of the team back in 2022, for a then-record $4.65 billion.

Four years on, the Walton family worth is estimated at approximately $130bn, around five times more than the second-wealthiest NFL owner, Clark Hunt of the Kansas City Chiefs ($25.6bn).

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“This billionaire greed will turn away the fans who helped build the game into what it is now,” one wrote on X, reacting to the idea.

“If this is true, this is extremely embarrassing for the Denver Broncos. A team that has a decades-long wait-list of 107,000 and unlike Buffalo/Vegas, they have owners that don’t NEED the PSL funding to help build the stadium,” another said.

“What a horrible way to treat life long Bronco’s fans. Many of us cannot afford a PSL and our seats will go to the elite,” a third wrote.

“Awful. I want to say all sorts of nasty things. Porking the fans simply because you can is just terrible,” a fourth said.

“Gross,” a fifth concluded.

Broncos need ‘acceleration’ to avoid delaying stadium project

While the suggestion of using PSLs has irked fans, the Broncos believe their privately-funded stadium is still on track to open in 2031.

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However, Leech has stressed the need for ‘acceleration’ in community-related processes to avoid any delays.

“We can’t do this alone,” he said.

“There are certain things we don’t control. I think, as a good example, the community benefits process is something that we can’t control.

“We’ve had a lot of great initial conversations with community representatives. More recently it’s been more on a staff level.

“We’re eager to engage with those community members directly to understand what they’re looking for, what needs and interests they have in the development.”

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Could Denver land a future Super Bowl?

The aim for the Broncos, like many teams building new stadiums, is to one day host a Super Bowl.

Leech is confident that will happen, even if the planned entertainment district around the new facility could take decades to fully complete.

“I don’t think we’re thinking that we need to wait until the end of the full development occurs,” he said of potentially hosting a Super Bowl.

“I think that’s not realistic and probably somebody who’s just impatient wouldn’t want to wait that long either. I think it’s fine to consider doing a Super Bowl earlier on after the stadium opens than later.”

As for playing in a Super Bowl, the Broncos recently opened a state-of-the-art practice facility which may be the best in the NFL.

It has already earned rave reviews from players.