DENVER — Since the Walton-Penner group took ownership of the Broncos last August, one question has hung over the franchise: Will a new stadium be built? And where?
The new owners continue to connect with Broncos Country through surveys, something that began last season to better understand the gameday experience.
In the latest survey sent to season-ticket holders, fans were asked a battery of questions, including several about a potential new stadium, like, "What would an authentically Denver or authentically Colorado stadium look like?" And, "What are favorite roof configurations in order of preference at a new stadium?"
The Broncos owners have not yet made a decision on whether to construct a new stadium. They have researched the project for months with focus groups, and the season-ticket survey is part of this process.
CEO Greg Penner said in August, "At this point, Empower Field at Mile High is a world class facility. We have 10 years on our lease. We have time to consider our options."
Empower Field at Mile High is currently undergoing more than $100 million in upgrades. One of the main improvements is expanding the scoreboard above the south stands, creating the fourth-largest videoboard in the NFL. These renovations came after Rob Walton, Greg Penner and Carrie Walton-Penner toured road stadiums throughout last season.
The survey acknowledged that the Broncos are "exploring the possibility of constructing a new state-of-the-art football stadium that would serve as a world-class home for the team and its dedicated fan base." Per the Broncos, the new stadium would improve the fan experience with new and enhanced seating options as well as upgraded stadium amenities across concessions, concourse, technology and merchandise.
It also stated that Personal Seat Licenses (PSLs) have been implemented to offset construction costs over the past 20-30 years and that the cost varies depending on seat location. The Broncos have never used PSLs, but they have never engaged in a potential project of this magnitude either. The PSLs are a "one-time, per-seat fee, applied to reserved and club seats," per the survey.
"Surveys sent to fans regarding our gameday/stadium experience are the next step of the research project we announced in January. 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!" tweeted Broncos president Damani Leech on Thursday night.
It also asked season-ticket holders about things such as:
- Ranking the importance of Broncos traditions, like Miles the mascot standing above the scoreboard before the fourth quarter, the IN-COM-PLETE chant and Thunder running the field after touchdowns.
- Ranking the tailgate experience, preferred method of travel to games
- Their preferred location of a new stadium with current location, downtown, northeast, southeast, northwest and southwest as choices.
- How would the presence of a mixed-use development — retail stores, etc — impact when they arrive and leave stadium.
