Rob Walton, the son of the founder of Walmart (WMT), has agreed to buy the National Football
League’s Denver Broncos team for $4.65 billion U.S., which is a record amount for a North
American sports franchise.
Terms for the deal weren’t disclosed, and it still needs approval from the NFL’s finance
committee and league ownership.
Walton’s offer of $4.65 billion U.S. is the highest amount ever paid for a professional sports
team in Canada, the U.S. or Mexico.
The Broncos’ long-time owners, the Bowlen family, said in February of this year that they were
planning to sell the franchise. The team won seven of 17 games in the most recent NFL season,
finishing at the bottom of the AFC West division.
However, the Broncos won the Super Bowl in 1998, 1999 and 2016 and has been led by Hall of
Fame quarterbacks such as John Elway and Peyton Manning.
The Walton family’s net worth, which includes the heirs of Walmart founder Sam Walton, has
been estimated at $250 billion U.S.
