LONDON — English soccer club Arsenal has strengthened its ties with Denver businessman Stan Kroenke and set up a partnership with his soccer club Colorado Rapids.
Kroenke owns a 12 percent stake in the Gunners and has now bought 50 percent of Arsenal Broadband Limited, giving his company an interest in the club’s Web site and Internet rights.
The Gunners said Monday the primary aim of the linkup with the Rapids was to build the Arsenal brand in the United States while helping improve the MLS team and supporting American grass-roots soccer.
Arsenal also said it had intensified its commercial relationship with Kroenke’s Sports Enterprises.
“We have held constructive and fruitful discussions with Stan Kroenke over the past year and are excited by the prospect of further developing our mutual commercial projects with KSE,” said Arsenal managing director Keith Edelman.
Kroenke also owns the NBA’s Denver Nuggets, the NHL’s Colorado Avalanche and the NFL’s St. Louis Rams.
