UGA signs largest per year media rights deal in NCAA history

Posted on June 22nd, 2009. Written by Emmett Jones.

Wow.

History was made last week when North Carolina based marketing company International Sports Properties, finalized a deal to pay the Georgia Athletics Department $92.8 million over the next eight years for marketing and media rights.

The deal is the largest per year payout in the history of college sports.

And what is International Sports Properties gaining in the media rights deal?

For its $92.8 million, which it will start paying in July, ISP will own the rights to assets such as Georgia’s corporate sponsorships, stadium signage and, for the first time, its Internet properties, radio network and coaches’ shows.

Previously, WSB held the rights to Georgia’s radio network and coaches’ shows, while JumpTV controlled its Web rights. WSB, which has broadcast Bulldogs games since the late 1930s, will be the flagship station for the duration of the eight-year deal. JumpTV will be involved next year and potentially further, Thomas said.

UGA’s previous deal, signed in 2005, was a 5 year deal only worth $14.1 million, but the added digital rights bundled in the new deal helped to drive up the price tag.  Apparently, digital media rights of a popular SEC team will cost you about $9 million a year, if you adjust for inflation.  Georgia’s number, while the highest per year, does still seem to be on par with other colleges,

In March, Ohio State signed a $110 million, 10-year marketing and media rights contract with IMG College, which was the richest per-year figure, according to the Knight Commission, an organization concerned with “academic and fiscal integrity in college sports. While the Ohio State contract is greater in total worth — and Nebraska’s (at $112.5 million for 13 years) is even bigger— Georgia’s annual average of $11.6 million is the highest.

Following Ohio State, Florida receives $10 million annually. Alabama and Texas both are paid about $9.4 million per year. Georgia Tech’s 10-year deal with ISP, signed in January, averages about $4.9 million annually.

It just goes to show that if you have a quality product and an extremely rabid fan base, people are willing to break open the piggy banks for your product.  The problem that most teams/schools are having or had been having is that they were missing one of those two components.

The University of Georgia is obviously not one of those schools.

Atlanta Journal Constitution — UGA signs $92.8–million media rights deal

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