Chiefs, team president Mark Donovan agree to contract extension

Chiefs president Mark Donovan will remain in Kansas City for a while after the team announced Tuesday that it has signed him to a long-term extension.

The Chiefs did not disclose the length of Donovan’s contract, but chairman Clark Hunt said in a release that Donovan would be “guiding the business operations of the Chiefs for many years to come.”

“Over the last six seasons, Mark has helped the Chiefs rank among the best in the National Football League in several categories — most importantly, the fan experience — and I know he and his team will continue to work tirelessly,” Hunt said.

Donovan spent six years with coach Andy Reid in Philadelphia before joining the Chiefs as the team’s chief operating officer in 2009. In 2011, Donovan was promoted to team president, a position from which he directs the franchise’s business operations.

“I’d like to thank Clark and the entire Hunt family for giving me the opportunity to continue my career with one of the league’s most iconic and proud franchises,” Donovan said in a release. “My family and I have been blessed to be surrounded by a talented staff, a strong team and a supportive community.”

Under Donovan, the Chiefs have introduced a stadium-wide wireless Internet network, a Chiefs-specific mobile app and ticketless technology. Donovan said at the NFL’s annual meetings in March that the Chiefs were the first NFL team to introduce ticketless technology and a loyalty program to their fans.

“It was all sort of two-pronged, to create more value for the season-ticket member and use technology to make the experience more efficient,” Donovan said. “With the mobile ticketing, you can literally come into a game with just your phone.”

This story was originally published April 28, 2015 at 5:17 PM with the headline "Chiefs, team president Mark Donovan agree to contract extension."