Rob Walton is the new owner of the Denver Broncos. If he is like any of the groups he was bidding against, it is likely he reached out to Peyton Manning.
Manning, who led the Broncos to victory in Super Bowl L, was courted as a minority investor by a number of groups bidding on the team according to Chris Kuc of Front Office Sports.
If Walton is interested, what is holding Manning back? Well, it could be the ManningCast.
When the Broncos first went up for sale, Peyton Manning expressed interest in being part of an ownership group. There was plenty of speculation about what it could mean for the future of his deal with ESPN to produce the network’s alternate coverage of Monday Night Football.
In December, Jason La Canfora of CBS speculated that if the Mannings got involved with ownership, the ManningCast would likely come to an end. Two months later, it seemed like that was put to bed when ESPN and Omaha Productions extended their agreement into 2024.
Omaha Productions has already expanded its alternate broadcast roster. Last month, it produced alternate coverage of the PGA Championship featuring Joe Buck and Michael Collins. The company is expected to produce similar broadcasts for college football games and UFC fights.
Nothing is certain when it comes to the Broncos. Manning has built a business empire, and as the last quarterback to lead Denver to a championship, he remains very popular among the fans. If Walton was among the initial bidders to approach Peyton Manning, it makes sense that the Wal-Mart heir would want to seal that deal now that he has been announced as the winning bidder for the team.
