Collegiate Multimedia Rights: What is the fastest path to maximizing revenue?

Originally penned by Jill Axel for LinkedIn

The business of college sports is at a turning point. There are so many important decisions to be made. Conference alignment, broadcast rights, NIL, transfer portal, and the list goes on. And, in my world, the big decision of the day is centered around college sports multimedia rights (MMR) – that is, the decision of whether to keep sponsorship sales in-house or outsource it to a third-party rights holder. If you are a college athletic director, you know exactly what I’m talking about.

Prior to joining POV Sports Marketing, I worked in collegiate athletics for over 20 years. I understand how this – the business of college athletics -- works. I’ve interfaced with all the players on campus. I’ve navigated the hierarchy and the red tape. I’ve managed in-house sales teams and negotiated deals with multimedia rights holders. As I’m sure you’ve guessed, there are pros and cons to both models. The goal is to choose the best model for your program and then optimize it.

This is a very important time for college athletics decision makers as they weigh their options on not just how best to sell, but also how to maximize their sponsorship revenue. Depending on the size of the program, some multimedia rights holders are phasing out guarantees and moving towards a revenue share model. This means colleges need to make a choice. THIS is why I joined the POV team. We are an unbiased advisor in the decision and uniquely positioned to help.

Choosing which direction to take with collegiate sponsorship sales – in-house or out-sourced – is a difficult task. If you are being offered a great guarantee from a multimedia rights holder, then that might be your best path forward. You’ll have the backing of that company and their resources. If there is no guarantee from the rights holder, it may be in your best interest to bring the operation in house. We know every collegiate athletic program is different and comes with its own unique set of challenges.

POV’s SponsorshipEdge® and Sales Advisory services have been assisting clients for over 7 years. We have evaluated and advised upwards of 25 properties on sponsorship sales strategy and revenue maximization, including teams, venues, national governing bodies, and non-profit organizations. During these engagements, we take a deep dive into a sports property’s sales process, market landscape, inventory, rate card, and deal structure and deliver a comprehensive recommendation on how to move forward. We are now offering these services to college and university athletics departments.

To be clear, we are not a multimedia rights holder. We do not sell sponsorships. We are an objective, strategic advisor to the Athletics Department. If the MMR opportunity is just not there, we create the playbook for your in-house sales offering, show you the recommended infrastructure, and put your seller on the path to success. Our team has quantifiable results in this space and has helped many properties achieve significant revenue results.

Who advises you on your MMR rights? Could you benefit from a fresh perspective and a roadmap to maximizing your sponsorship sales?

Jill Axel spent 22 years with Drexel University Athletics as an administrator for external relations where she oversaw their in-house sponsorship sales team and negotiated outsourced deals involving both a revenue share and a 10-year rights guarantee. Prior to working in collegiate athletics, Jill spent time in pro sports with the Philadelphia Eagles and Pittsburgh Steelers in sales and sponsorship activation roles. She is now the Collegiate Sponsorship and Rights Specialist for POV Sports Marketing. Read Jill’s full bio here.