The Denver Broncos are entering a new era.

On Tuesday, NFL owners officially voted and unanimously approved the sale of the Broncos to the Walton-Penner group. The team was sold for $4.65 billion, which is an American record for the sale of a sports franchise.

The ownership group consists of six notable public figures: Walmart fortune heir Rob Walton, former U.S. Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice, Formula One star Lewis Hamilton, co-CEO of Ariel Investments Mellody Hobson, and Rob Walton's daughter, Carrie Walton-Penner and her husband Greg Penner. While Rob Walton is the majority owner, the Penners will be in charge of most day-to-day activities involving the franchise.

After the sale of the team was announced as official, Rob Walton released an official statement. He began by thanking other NFL owners and teams.

“We are grateful for the support and trust of the National Football League and the 31 other teams with today's vote. We couldn't be more excited to join the Denver Broncos.”

Walton also paid homage to the previous Broncos owner, Pat Bowlen.

“It's a responsibility and privilege to serve as stewards of such an iconic franchise. We have tremendous respect for what Pat Bowlen has meant to the Broncos and look forward to building on this organization's championship legacy.”

Over the past few seasons, the Broncos have had very little success on the field.

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There hasn't been a solid front office leadership presence since Bowlen stepped down from his role with the team. Fortunately, the Broncos now have a solid ownership group that should help play a role in the team's return to its winning ways.