Tag: Empower Field At Mile High

Russell Wilson praises Broncos fans for being ‘super supportive’

“I think the biggest thing for us is we feel that as players,” Broncos QB Russell Wilson said of home-field fans. “It really does matter.”

Despite playing a mile above sea level in sold-out games at a 76,125-seat stadium, the Denver Broncos went 4-4 at home last season. The year before that, they went 4-5 in 2021. Three years ago, the Broncos went 2-6 at Empower Field at Mile High in 2020.

Denver has not had a winning record at home since the club went 5-3 in 2019. Fans have continued to show up as the team continues to disappoint, but even the well-supported Broncos have had some ugly no-show games in recent seasons.

Denver had an opportunity to start the 2023 season with a win at home in Week 1 but squandered it, falling to the Las Vegas Raiders, 17-16.

After the loss, quarterback Russell Wilson credited the fans for sticking with the team, and he promised better results next week.

“The atmosphere was great,” Wilson said. “I mean, that means the world to us as players. We’re in it, the fans were in it the whole game. [The fans were] super supportive, lifting us up. I think the biggest thing for us is we feel that as players.

“It really does matter. This is an electric city in terms of sports and in terms of fanbase and everything else. We’re going to be better next week, and that’s what we have to do.”

The Broncos will host the Washington Commanders on Sunday before back-to-back road games. Fans in Denver expect the Broncos to field a winning team, especially at home. Wilson plans to deliver that in Week 2.

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Empower Field at Mile High ranked as NFL’s 9th-best stadium

Do the Broncos need a new stadium? The Athletic certainly doesn’t think so! They ranked Empower Field at Mile High 9th-best in the NFL.

Jon Machota and other writers at The Athletic recently ranked all 30 NFL stadiums (the league has 32 teams but two stadiums are shared by a pair of teams).

Empower Field at Mile High, home of the Denver Broncos, is ranked ninth.

“The Broncos’ home since 2001 has held up well,” Machota wrote. “It’s still one of the better stadiums to watch a game. It was voted top five on three ballots.”

Elsewhere in the AFC West, SoFi Stadium (Los Angeles Chargers, sharing with the L.A. Rams) is ranked No. 2, GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs) is ranked No. 6 and Allegiant Stadium (Las Vegas Raiders) is ranked No. 7.

Clearly, the Broncos have fallen behind in the AFC West, both on and off the field. Denver’s new ownership group aims to fix that. The Broncos are spending more than $100 million on stadium renovations this offseason, including a massive new scoreboard.

Eventually, Denver will likely build a brand-new stadium, but Empower Field at Mile High is still considered a top-10 venue in the NFL.

U.S. Bank Stadium (Minnesota Vikings) is ranked No. 1 on the list. To view the complete rankings of NFL stadiums, visit The Athletic (subscription required for link).

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Playing a mile above sea level can be an advantage for Sean Payton’s Broncos

The Broncos have the second-best home winning percentage in the NFL over the last 50 years.

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The Denver Broncos love reminding opposing teams that they play a mile above sea level with signs pointing it out at their aptly-named Empower Field at Mile High Stadium.

Playing at such a high elevation against teams that aren’t conditioned for it can give the Broncos an edge, both physically and mentally. New players — and coaches — who joined Denver this offseason will have to adjust to it this summer. Once they are adjusted, the elevation can serve as an advantage.

“All the coaches when we first arrived went up a set of steps, and for two weeks, all of us were looking at each other like, ‘This is nuts,'” Payton recalled during his media session at rookie minicamp earlier this month. “Pretty soon, it goes away. We talk a lot about hydration and getting acclimated. Generally speaking, I’m not an expert on that.

“When [the Saints] traveled here, we spent a lot of time discussing if we should come two days early, or do you come the normal one day early. The experts would say the only way to get acclimated is to come 10 days early. If not, then come as late as possible and make sure you’re hydrating. We’re making sure they understand that. The benefits of being here on a constant basis is this is your baseline. When you do travel to sea level — so many Olympic athletes train at altitude so that there hopefully is a benefit. We talk about it.”

The Broncos have the second-best home win percentage (.684) in the NFL over the last 50 years, only trailing the Pittsburgh Steelers (.714). Playing a mile above sea level is just one of many factors for that impressive home record, but it shouldn’t be overlooked as a genuine advantage.

Every advantage adds up in the NFL, and being accustomed to playing a mile above sea level will be useful for Denver’s nine home games this fall.

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Broncos had 5th-best attendance in the NFL last season

The Broncos averaged 75,980 fans per game in 2022, the fifth-best attendance average in the NFL.

The numbers are in for attendance across the NFL in 2022, and it they reflect well on Denver Broncos fans.

Despite a dismal year that featured a 5-12 record, a head coach firing 15 games into the season and finishing near the bottom of the NFL in nearly every offensive statistic, Denver faithful continued to show up (for the most part).

The Broncos finished with the fifth-highest attendance in the NFL in 2022, with an average of 75,980. The highest fan attendance belonged to the Dallas Cowboys, who averaged 93,465 fans per game.

The numbers for Denver fans went down from 2021, when an average of 76,236 fans came to Empower Field at Mile High, and finishing third in the NFL for attendance. In 2022, games for the Broncos were increasingly frustrating for fans. This was exemplified by the Thursday Night Football meltdown against the Indianapolis Colts. In the 12-9 overtime loss, cameras showed fans streaming out of the stadium before overtime even began. In the Peyton Manning era, fans leaving the stadium would be unthinkable.

Before the 2023 season, Denver ownership announced over $100 million in stadium upgrades, including, but not limited to, enlarging the south scoreboard, improvements to the suite level of the stadium and installing two new elevators.

Despite the upgrades, in order for attendance to increase, the product on the field must be the main draw. With the hiring of head coach Sean Payton, the Broncos want to show that they are serious about finding a sense of identity and discipline. With identity and discipline, teams win games. Winning draws fans. That’s the simple math.

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JJ Watt chimes in on Broncos’ stadium situation

As the Broncos consider a new stadium, JJ Watt chimed in to note that Empower Field at Mile High “has always been one of my favorites.”

JJ Watt’s NFL career is over, but his social media will keep him in the public eye. His Twitter account displays his personality, and he isn’t afraid to give his opinions.

Speaking of opinions, Watt chimed in on the current Denver Broncos conundrum. The Walton-Penner era of Broncos ownership will let the fans help decide some of the team’s plans for the future, including whether or not the team gets a new stadium.

The Broncos organization recently sent a survey to season ticket holders asking for their input, but Watt gave an interesting viewpoint on what the Broncos should do on the stadium front. For Watt, staying put at Empower Field at Mile High is the best answer.

The Walton-Penner group has the financial assets to build and develop new facilities with no issues. But perhaps Watt has a point: leaving well enough alone may be for the best. Nevertheless, the Sean Payton-Russel Wilson era will have Empower Field at Mile High filled with fans — especially if it’s successful.

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Broncos ownership shouldn’t ask fans to help fund new stadium with PSLs

The Broncos have the richest ownership group in the NFL (by far). Those owners should not ask fans to help fund a new stadium with PSLs.

The Denver Broncos sent an email to season ticket holders on Thursday asking them to take a survey about the possibility of renovations to Empower Field at Mile High and the possibility of a completely new stadium.

“Surveys sent to fans regarding our gameday/stadium experience are the next step of the research project we announced in January,” team president Damani Leech tweeted on March 23. “We’ve had great feedback from the focus groups & look forward to learning even more with the surveys. Let us know what you think, Broncos Country!”

The Broncos have not yet officially made a decision on the possibility of a new stadium, but this is a step in a process that could ultimately lead to such a decision being made.

Thursday’s survey link asked questions about the stadium’s location (and how far fans are willing to travel) and the possibility of a roof on the stadium, among other topics. The survey also introduced the possibility of personal seat licenses, a one-time purchase that gives season ticket holders the “right” to buy their tickets each season.

PSLs are hated by fans but loved by teams because they can help fund building new stadiums. One fan on Twitter said he would have to pay almost $15,000 to get PSLs for his three season tickets in the highest section of the stadium.

“If the @Broncos want me to pay nearly $15000 for a PSL for my 3 seats, plus increase the total price per season for those seats by $2400 (to nearly $6000) I’ll be out,” @H_MooreCO tweeted Thursday.

Many fans will feel similarly, but with a long season-ticket waiting list, Denver will likely be able to find other fans willing to pay up. NFL games are already expensive to attend. Adding in PSLs for season ticket holders would make Broncos games even more out of reach for many fans.

“PSL’s price out average-income fans,” @AlamoOnTheRise tweeted Thursday. “If the Walton-Penner group is seeking to wash out longstanding, lower income season ticket holders, PSL’s are the way to go.”

Denver’s front office will point out that nearly every modern NFL stadium has been built with the help of PSLs. Broncos fans can counter, though, that no other NFL team has an ownership group like the Walton-Penner family.

Rob Walton has an estimated net worth of nearly $60 billion. The next-richest owner in the NFL is David Tepper, worth nearly $19 billion. Denver has the richest ownership group in the NFL by a very wide margin.

The Broncos do not have an ordinary ownership group, and they shouldn’t follow the lead of ordinary owners. Every ownership group in the NFL can afford to pay for their own stadium, and Denver’s even more so. Nothing is official yet, but if the Broncos ultimately decide to build a new super stadium, the owners should not ask fans to help fund it with PSLs.

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Broncos begin consulting fans on stadium’s future

The Broncos will soon begin asking fans for input on the future of the team’s stadium.

The Denver Broncos are already consulting fans about potential new uniforms. Soon, they will begin asking fans for their opinions about the future of the team’s stadium.

The Broncos have hired sports advisory and planning firm Legends “to conduct an extensive research project on their stadium and the entire game-day experience,” according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

The team confirmed that report on Tuesday afternoon.

As part of the research project, the team will begin consulting select fans in focus groups, interviews and surveys on the future of Empower Field at Mile High.

It has been widely speculated that Denver’s new ownership group will eventually build a new stadium, but making big changes to the existing stadium is also a possibility.

The Broncos are already spending $100 million on renovations and upgrades on Empower Field at Mile High this offseason, but that has not ruled out the possibility of eventually building a brand new stadium.

The team said there is no timetable for a potential decision on the overall future of the stadium, but the Legends market research project is expected to be completed in April. Denver will use the information collected during this process to reach a decision in the future.

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Broncos owners paid $400,000 to replace grass field for season finale

Broncos owners paid $400,000 to replace the grass field at Empower Field at Mile High for the team’s season finale.

After harsh weather and multiple high school football games, the playing surface at Empower Field at Mile High looked worn down as the Denver Broncos approached Sunday’s season finale.

So team co-owner/CEO Greg Penner had a new grass field installed at a cost of roughly $400,000, according to a report from KUSA-TV’s Mike Klis.

The new sod will be used for just one NFL game — after a busy summer schedule of concerts and Supercross motorcycle events, the Broncos will resod the field again before the 2023 season.

The team shared video on social media showing the process of the grass being replaced in time for the season finale.

The Broncos also outlined the “3” at the 30-yard line in Buffalo Bills red to show support for recovering safety Damar Hamlin.

After hosting the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, the Broncos will turn attention toward their head coaching search and the offseason. Denver has received permission from the Saints to interview Sean Payton, and the team has also shown interest in Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh.

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Broncos had 18,423 no-shows on Sunday despite resale tickets dropping as low as $10

The Broncos had 18,423 fans skip Sunday’s game, and secondary market tickets dipped all the way down to $10 just before kickoff.

The Denver Broncos defeated the Arizona Cardinals 24-15 on Sunday, but that victory marked just their fourth win of the season. Denver’s dismal 4-10 record explains why 18,423 fans didn’t even show up to the game.

Many of those 18,000-plus fans were unable to offload their tickets even at steeply-discounted prices. Fans searching the secondary market just before kickoff on Sunday could have found tickets for as low as $10.

The Broncos have had a season to forget, and Sunday’s showdown between Colt McCoy and Brett Rypien certainly wasn’t a marquee matchup, but that’s still an incredible price for a regular-season game in the NFL.

Denver fans who aren’t usually able to afford tickets to games at Empower Field at Mile High should keep an eye on the resale market leading up to the team’s season finale three weeks from now. After two upcoming road games, Broncos will host the Los Angeles Chargers in Week 18 to close out the 2022 season.

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Broncos’ ownership to make $100-plus million upgrades to stadium

When the upgrades are complete, the Broncos will have the fourth-largest single scoreboard in the NFL.

Following the Walton-Penner ownership group’s acquisition of the Denver Broncos in June 2022, rumors of a new stadium have run rampant across the Denver metro area.

That might happen down the road, but the team’s new ownership group is first focused on upgrading the team’s current stadium. The Broncos announced this week that the team is making more than $100 million worth of upgrades to Empower Field at Mile High.

The upgrades will include, per a press release:

  • an expansion of the south stand scoreboard by 70 percent. Upgrade the south scoreboard, two other in-stadium video boards and the ribbon boards to HDR quality.
  • Premium hospitality area upgrades to corridors and suites.
  • Wi-Fi enhancements to Empower Field at Mile High.
  • Significant concession upgrades to fans, expanding the Broncos’ sports industry-leading deployment of autonomous markets within the stadium.
  • A 3,000-square-foot expansion of the Broncos Team Store, including the installation of customer restrooms for the first time.
  • Installation of two new elevators to increase access for ADA patrons and guests. Those elevators will be located in the east and west sides of Empower Field.

“This significant investment in Empower Field at Mile High — the largest in the stadium’s history — demonstrates the deep commitment by the Walton-Penner Family Ownership Group to immediately and continually provide the best possible experience for our fans,” Broncos president Damani Leech said.

On Wednesday, NFL owners voted in approval of a G-4 financing loan for the team to begin the upgrades.

The south stands scoreboard expansion will arguably be the largest project. By the end of its completion, it will be the fourth-largest single scoreboard inside an NFL stadium. All upgrades will begin after the 2022 season ends, and be completed before the 2023 season commences.

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