ENGLEWOOD, Colo. — The Broncos' partnership with Centura Health just made sense.
As Denver explored options for a new naming rights partner, President Damani Leech and the Broncos quickly discovered the commonalities shared with Centura.
"Centura is a hometown team," Leech said Monday at an introductory press conference. "[They are] headquartered not too far from our practice [facility], and they have a lot in common with the Broncos. They are a rapidly growing organization with deep roots in our community. This is really a transformative moment here for the Denver Broncos and Centura Health. We're excited to embark on this journey together. While the naming rights to our facility, the Centura Health Training Center, is certainly the most visible part of the partnership, it's not the entire part of it. We're certainly going to be sharing a commitment to youth and promoting health and wellness. We're thrilled to make a significant impact in our community working together as part of that agreement."
Leech introduced the partnership with Owner & CEO Greg Penner, Owner Carrie Walton Penner and Centura Health President & CEO Peter Banko — and he made it clear the agreement was "the most impactful deal in the history of the Broncos in one single partnership."
In an offseason full of new additions, the Broncos are confident about the latest change.
"This offseason has been an exciting one for us with a number of new additions to the Broncos — from our head coach to the players we added in free agency, and then this weekend, having all of our rookies here for a tremendous minicamp," Penner said. "We're proud to add another important member to the team today."
Banko agreed the partnership made sense for both parties due to a set of shared values and their place in the marketplace.
"The Broncos are the No. 1 sports brand in the market, and we are the No. 1 healthcare brand," Banko said. "We can leverage off each other. While the commitment in a sports partnership is interesting, it's what we do from here — activating the partnership and impacting our community from here. For us, it was a no-brainer."
In addition to the newly renamed Centura Health Training Center, Centura will also help support the team's community efforts, as Banko announced a $100,000 donation to the Denver Broncos Foundation to help those facing food insecurity.
"We will be partnering to fight hunger in Colorado schools and tackling some of the systemic challenges that lead to food insecurity," Banko said. "As two impactful organizations with an unwavering commitment to improving their communities, we will start here but then plan together for even more systemic change over the next decade."
Though the Broncos' partnership with Centura came together relatively quickly, Leech emphasized the search was more about finding the right fit, rather than the quick one.
"It was less about speed and more about finding the right partner and feeling comfortable," Leech said. "I think we did that, and I think we have a great partner. Peter and I feel great about each other and working with each other. We're looking forward to the next 10 years."
