The Denver Broncos, like a handful of other NFL teams, are only allowing a limited number of fans to attend games in-person this season due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, but that didn’t stop the franchise from filling seats.
During Sunday’s game against the Tampa Bay Bucaneers, one of the end zones at Empower Field at Mile High Stadium was filled with 1,800 character cutouts from Comedy Central’s popular show, “South Park,” based on a town in Colorado.
The cutouts are part of the Broncos’ initiative to raise money for charity, according to CNN affiliate KCNC. So far, the team has raised $ 130,000.
The team originally made 1,000 cardboard cutouts available for fans to buy priced at $ 100 each with all net proceeds going toward Denver Broncos Charities during the season opener.
“South Park” characters Eric Cartman, Kenny, Kyle and others can be seen in the stands — all sporting face masks.
Sunday’s game was the first time fans could watch in-person since the pandemic put a pause on attendance. It was capped at 5,700 fans, which is roughly 7.5% of the stadium’s capacity of 76,125.
The Broncos join six other NFL teams that are allowing spectators. Each team has its own capacity limits in place, and some have different start dates for when fans will be allowed into the stadium for games. The other teams are the Cincinnati Bengals, Cleveland Browns, Dallas Cowboys, Indianapolis Colts, Jacksonville Jaguars, Kansas City Chiefs, and Miami Dolphins.
“South Park” is returning to TVs on September 30 for an hourlong special called “The Pandemic Special” and will tackle Covid-19.
