Kroenke Sports and Entertainment (KSE), the owning company behind four major sports franchises in Denver, US, has struck a five-year deal with premium experiences and retail brand Legends.
Through a tie-up unveiled yesterday (November 20), Legends has snapped up exclusive rights to manage, operate, sell, and distribute all merchandise for the following teams - the Denver Nuggets from basketball’s NBA, the Colorado Avalanche from ice hockey’s NHL, the Colorado Rapids from Major League Soccer, and the Colorado Mammoth from the National Lacrosse League.
Legends will now take over merchandise sales for these KSE franchises online (through the Altitude Authentics store), as well as on-site at the KSE-owned Ball Arena and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park venues. Ball Arena is home to the Avalanche and Nuggets, while the other venue has played host to the Rapids since 2007.
This adds to the existing tie-up between Legends and KSE (owned by US businessman Stan Kroenke) - since 2019, the brand has operated food and beverage services at both Ball Arena and Dick’s Sporting Goods Park.
Legends has said the merchandise deal will see it use a data and fan-led approach to “deliver an expanded product assortment and enhanced customer experience for fans.”
Legends has also claimed the deal will bring “point-of-purchase customization” and “faster order fulfilment, and shipping” to fans of the Denver franchises.
The 2024-25 seasons for the Nuggets and Avalanche began last month, the Mammoth get their campaign underway on November 29, while the Rapids finished their 2024 MLS season in early November after being knocked out in round one of the post-season playoffs.
In terms of Legends’ other US merchandise and retail tie-ups, the brand has agreements in place covering events and properties such as American football’s end-of-season Super Bowl, golf’s PGA Championship, baseball’s New York Yankees, and the NFL’s Dallas Cowboys.
In mid-September, Legends and the NFL’s Buffalo Bills announced a collaboration with 3D Digital Venue, a digital visualization technology firm.
The collaboration covers the creation of a 3D digital representation of the Bills’ upcoming New Highmark Stadium in Buffalo, New York.
Outside of the US, it also has a deal with Arsenal (as of July last year), of English soccer’s top-tier Premier League - another team owned by Kroenke.
