For those who follow the National Football League (NFL), it has often been described as a copycat league. In other words, one team does something new, and a number of teams follow. Recently, the Denver Broncos announced its first-ever space partner, MDA Space. It now begs the question, will other sports franchises and teams look to strike space partnerships?
Via Satellite spoke to Denver Broncos Chief Commercial Officer Dennis Moore about the deal and why he is excited about the link-up with MDA Space. Moore said it could be argued that the Broncos are the closest NFL franchise to space. “We led early in discussions with MDA Space that the Broncos are the closest NFL team to space. We are a ‘mile high,’ and we just love that. It is a very significant alignment for us. We believe the space industry stands for innovation, precision, education, and the next generation of scientists and manufacturing.”
Colorado’s strong economic and workforce presence in the space industry led to the partnership. Moore notes that aerospace is roughly a $15 billion industry in Colorado, with nearly 55,000 employees.
“It is really about the aerospace industry and its presence in Colorado,” Moore said. “We have five military bases in Colorado. Aerospace is really critically important to Colorado, and ultimately, we have been focused on a space partnership for the last couple of years.”
While a potential space partnership was on the radar for a few years, MDA’s Space recent move to acquire Blue Canyon Technologies was the catalyst for the stars to align. MDA Space, which is based in Canada, is acquiring the Denver-based manufacturer, which has around 400 employees and two manufacturing facilities.
“When we saw this news, we actually reached out directly to Mike Greenley [MDA Space CEO] to talk about synergies and possibly working together. We really just started with a conversation that ultimately culminated with what you saw in us launching the partnership,” Moore said.
The Broncos spoke to a number of interested parties and would not rule out further partnerships with space companies. “I do not think MDA Space will be our last sponsorship in this space-space, if you will. We still have several ongoing conversations with a lot of those companies because I think what they are going to see with MDA Space is really an elevation of that brand.”
Moore spoke about how MDA Space has two primary objectives with this partnership.
“No. 1 is recruitment. There are talent wars out there in the space industry for scientists and the best talent. MDA Space is using the awareness and the elevation to draw more awareness to MDA Space and bring some of the assets to potential employees,” he says. “No. 2 — they want to inspire the next generation on space, and they want to bring awareness to the next generation of not only Broncos fans but inspire and encourage STEM education [and] general awareness about the industry in Colorado.”
Will Others Follow?
Even though this deal was only announced a few weeks ago, there has already been interest from other NFL teams in learning about the partnership. Moore said he’s had outreach from a number of counterparts across the NFL in addition to outreach from Kroenke Sports, which owns the Avalanche in the NHL and the Denver Nuggets in the NBA
“If I know one thing about sports teams, it is they are fast followers. I would imagine you could see quite a bit of activity here,” he said. “I do think where other teams see opportunity, they try and replicate that as quickly as they possibly can.”
Space partners could be a natural fit for franchises that have deep-rooted connections with the space industry. Moore has already spoken about the deep connection Colorado has with space and how space is part of Colorado’s DNA. When asked who might be next, Moore said he wouldn’t be surprised if the likes of the Washington Commanders or the Seattle Seahawks would consider a similar move, given the importance of space in Washington and Seattle.
“As we prove out the metrics and the success that we think we are going to have with MDA Space, you will see not only fast followers in the space industry and in those brands trying to align with sports properties, but you will see other teams try and replicate this model that we have found with MDA Space for sure,” Moore said.
Tier One Partner
The Denver Broncos have a number of sponsorship deals, with sponsorships around beer, automobiles, and banking. Yet the deal with MDA Space hits a little different. The Broncos consider MDA Space a “tier one” partner, which comes with some unique benefits.
Moore talks about how MDA Space will “own” Denver’s player introductions, as an example. One of the most exciting parts of the gameday experience is when the home team’s players are introduced, usually with extra hype and excitement. He makes the analogy that the players are going out on their mission when they enter the field.
“They are the best athletes in their profession, and that moment when we introduce them and they run out of the locker room and out of the tunnel, we think is very symbolic of MDA Space in the space industry launching a mission. We really play on this. We think it is really cool that MDA Space is going to own this moment. They are going to have branding on and in the player tunnel.”
As the Broncos inaugural space partner, MDA Space will be featured through in-stadium, digital, and fan-facing activations to help introduce the space company to new audiences.
As a sports marketer, Moore said he spent time trying to understand the space industry, asking questions of MDA Space and other companies in the industry.
“When you are able to find these significant partnerships in an emerging category that stands for precision and everything the space industry stands for, you put those on a pedestal,” Moore said. “This is certainly is one that, all the way up to our ownership group, we are incredibly excited about and excited to prove out because we think it is hopefully the first of several in this category.”
