Western Union ends its corporate sponsorship deal with Nuggets

Western Union will no longer be the jersey patch sponsor for the Nuggets and the company is discontinuing its corporate sponsorship with the team.

“As the Nuggets’ first jersey patch sponsor and biggest hometown supporter, Western Union has thoroughly enjoyed partnering with the Denver Nuggets over the past six years, culminating with the team’s run to becoming world champions in 2023,” Western Union said in a statement to DNVR.

“Being able to connect with our customers both locally and globally is crucial, therefore the company is constantly looking at ways to do so, which sometimes means shifting investments to other parts of the business and the world. While the company will be discontinuing its corporate sponsorship with the Nuggets, our organization and our employees remain the biggest fans of the team and will continue to be strong supporters. We wish the Nuggets the best as they defend their title this upcoming season.”

DNVR reported last week that Western Union was no longer the Nuggets’ jersey patch sponsor.

The Western Union logo has appeared on the Nuggets’ uniform since 2017 when the NBA first approved the sale of sponsored jersey patches. Western Union and the Nuggets agreed to a three-year sponsorship extension in 2020 that ran through the end of last season. That agreement is not being renewed for this coming season.

Every team in the NBA has a jersey patch sponsorship deal, and I expect the Nuggets to secure another sponsorship in due time.

Coming off the 2023 NBA Championship, there’s an unprecedented level of publicity and prestige surrounding the Nuggets. For the first time in their franchise history, the Nuggets sold out of their season tickets for the upcoming 2023-24 season. Denver currently has a season ticket waitlist for fans called Nuggets Next.

When it comes to a jersey patch sponsorship, my read is that the Nuggets’ price, has gone up. Yesterday’s price is not today’s price.

Also, of note: Former Western Union CEO Hikmet Ersek, the company’s CEO when the original Nuggets-Western Union partnership was negotiated, retired from his role as CEO and Director of Western Union in 2021. Ersek was a fixture at Nuggets games in Denver. He rarely missed a game and could always be spotted at his courtside seat near the Nuggets’ bench. New Western Union management could have alternative priorities.

Colorado-based companies that already have an affiliation with the Nuggets, like Ball Corporation and UC Health, could be candidates for the team’s new jersey patch sponsorship.