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Thursday, Jun. 18, 2009

UGA signs deal with ISP Sports

ATHENS — Georgia and ISP Sports have reached an agreement on a multimedia rights deal that will generate nearly $93 million during the next eight years.

The new deal will bring all of Georgia’s marketing and media packages under the same agreement and will increase the school’s annual revenue from its rights packages by nearly 40 percent. The $11.6 million the school will receive annually would be the most by any university, according to the Sports Business Journal.

“We are extremely pleased to partner with ISP Sports to deliver Georgia Bulldog programming to the Bulldog Nation and beyond,” Georgia athletics director Damon Evans said in a statement Wednesday. “This agreement will provide the infrastructure to deliver our content and message through various mediums that will continue to make the University of Georgia a leader in intercollegiate athletics.”

ISP already handled Georgia’s marketing rights, which included print publications and corporate hospitality, but the new agreement will also give ISP control of radio broadcast rights and coaches’ television shows.

While ISP will take over the broadcast rights for Georgia radio broadcasts, Bulldogs’ games will continue to be carried by WSB-AM (750).

“I’m especially pleased that WSB News/Talk 750 will continue to be our flagship station,” Evans said. “We have a long history and tradition with WSB which is one of the country’s premier radio stations. That relationship will continue providing the very best coverage for Georgia sports teams.”

Evans said the new agreement should change little in terms of what Georgia fans have been accustomed to through the years but should allow the school to develop even more multimedia platforms in which to reach fans.

“Same dimensions, just a different rights holder,” Evans said last month. “Now there will be some new twists from a multimedia rights to get ourselves more exposure. I don’t know all the details, but one thing is we’re trying to brand ourselves better and get more people to see the University of Georgia.”

No decisions were announced regarding the on-air personalities for Georgia’s radio broadcasts Wednesday. Scott Howard and Eric Zeier handled broadcast duties last season after the sudden retirement of longtime play-by-play man Larry Munson.

“The addition of the Georgia Bulldog Radio Network to our partnership with UGA Athletics is an extremely positive one,” ISP chairman and CEO Ben Sutton said. “Our talented radio production team is looking forward to the opportunity to build on the long and rich tradition established by WSB and Cox radio in bringing the millions of Dog fans the very best in sports broadcasting.”