ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — If the Broncos were judged on how they conduct their business of football and not through their on-field product, they would still be considered a championship-caliber NFL franchise.
Forbes released its annual NFL franchise values Thursday and the Broncos came in at No. 10 at $3.75 billion. That’s up 17% from last year when the team was valued at $3.2 million and represents a whopping 223% increase since the end of the 2013 season, when Peyton Manning’s offensive record-setting Broncos were valued at $1.61 billion.
Now if only the business of the Broncos’ franchise could translate to their football department. Denver has missed the playoffs five consecutive years, and have suffered four consecutive losing seasons in which their average record is slightly worse than 6-10.
The two most recent NFL team sales say Forbes’ sports franchise value estimates are not to be dismissed. In 2014, the Pegulas, Terry and Kim, paid $1.4 billion for the Buffalo Bills, well more than Forbes’ estimated value of $935 million. In 2018, David Tepper bought the Carolina Panthers for $2.275 billion, slightly less than Forbes’ previous estimated value of $2.3 billion.
In other words, there are seven children and one brother of Broncos’ late owner Pat Bowlen who just had their financial portfolios padded substantially. Pat Bowlen died in 2019 from complications from Alzheimer’s. John Bowlen, Pat’s brother, owns 22% non-voting minority interest in the team – valued at $825 million, according to Forbes. Each of Pat Bowlen’s seven children – Amie, Beth, Pat, John, Brittany, Christianna and Annabel – each own 11.14%, or roughly $418 million apiece.
Joe Ellis, the Broncos’ controlling owner delegee as one of three trustees for the Pat Bowlen Trust and the team’s chief executive officer and president, said on July 27 that soon after this season, the trustees would begin the process of transferring the team’s ownership.
"Selling the team is always possible," Ellis said then. "That’s one. And if it’s going to stay in the family, Brittany is the other option but there are certain conditions that will go with that and it could come in various forms which could lead to one or two other options."
The new owner – whether an outside investor or Brittany Bowlen – is expected to be in place before the start of the 2022 season.
Broncos podcast: Klis' Mike Drop
Denver Broncos headlines, game previews and interviews with our 9NEWS insider Mike Klis.
HOW TO LISTEN
SUGGESTED VIDEOS: Sports
> Top stories are curated daily just for you! Sign up for the 9NEWSLETTER to get can’t-miss stories, Next and Denver Broncos content, weather and more delivered right to your inbox.
MORE WAYS TO GET 9NEWS
Subscribe to our daily 9NEWSLETTER
Download the KUSA 9NEWS APP
iTunes: http://on9news.tv/itunes
Google Play: http://on9news.tv/1lWnC5n
HOW TO ADD THE 9NEWS APP TO YOUR STREAMING DEVICE
ROKU: add the channel from the ROKU store or by searching for KUSA.
For both Apple TV and Fire TV, search for KUSA "9news" to find the free app to add it to your account. Another option for Fire TV is to have the app delivered directly to your Fire TV through Amazon.