Major television service provider DirecTV secures marketing partnerships with university sports teams including Army, Duke, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, and UNC.
DirecTV has entered into a multi-year, strategic, and year-round sponsorship agreement with six prestigious college athletic programs: Duke University, Ohio State University, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Oregon, United States Military Academy (Army), and The University of Texas. This partnership, negotiated with college sports marketing company Learfield, aims to elevate the college sports fan experience nationwide.
Scope Across Sports
The collaboration covers multiple athletics programs including football, men's and women's basketball, and other collegiate sports. This means that DirecTV will be a part of the excitement across various sports, providing fans with a comprehensive college sports experience.
Marketing & Branding Rights
DirecTV secures enterprise-wide intellectual property rights to use official school logos and marks, in-venue and TV-visible signage, and digital media. This allows DirecTV to promote its messaging to millions of fans nationwide, whether they watch games at venues, on TV, or on the go.
Fan Engagement
One of the key aspects of this partnership is the creation of Fan Zones at key matchups. These zones will provide interactive "Best Seat in the House" experiences and live pregame viewing powered by DirecTV’s satellite-free streaming service. The first Fan Zone activation will occur with the Texas Football vs. Ohio State matchup on August 30.
Fan activations will also take place during major college football games such as Oregon State at Oregon on September 20, Clemson at UNC on October 4, Georgia Tech at Duke on October 18, Penn State at Ohio State on November 1, and Texas A&M at Texas on November 28.
NIL Program
An athlete Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) element is part of the deal, involving standout college athletes from these schools. These student-athletes will participate in content creation, social media amplification, and local market activations throughout the season.
Community Engagement
The sponsorship agreement includes community engagement initiatives throughout the school year, ensuring a holistic approach to fan engagement and college sports promotion.
Quotes
Kelly Jo Sands, senior vice president of digital marketing at DirecTV, stated, "College sports unite fans like few things can, and collaborating with these six legendary programs allows DirecTV to show up in meaningful, authentic ways."
Bill Hirsh, senior vice president of corporate sales at Learfield, commented, "This agreement with DirecTV showcases the advantage of leveraging the rights to school logos and student-athlete brand power to tap into fanbases and create authentic connections."
On-the-Go Viewing
Visitors can explore DirecTV’s Genre Pack offerings like MySports, ensuring they can watch their favorite teams anytime, anywhere, without a satellite dish. This convenience adds to the overall fan experience, making it easier than ever to catch every moment of the action.
- DirecTV will be involved in various sports programs beyond football, as the partnership with six universities covers multiple athletics including basketball and other collegiate sports.
- The agreement grants DirecTV enterprise-wide intellectual property rights to utilize official school logos, in-venue signage, TV-visible markers, and digital media for promoting its brand nationwide.
- A key feature of this collaboration is the creation of Fan Zones during key matchups, offering interactive experiences and live streaming of pregame viewing through DirecTV's satellite-free digital streaming service.
- As part of an NIL program, standout college athletes from these six universities will collaborate with DirecTV on content creation, social media amplification, and local market activations throughout the season.
- The sponsorship agreement includes community engagement initiatives throughout the school year, aiming for a comprehensive approach to fan engagement and the promotion of college sports.
