There is no disputing the value of media rights deals around college sports continues to widen the gap between the haves and the have-nots, especially in college football. But conference-wide media deals are just part of the equation. The individual media rights deals signed by some programs continues to impress for the top programs around the country. Georgia is going to be cashing in over the next decade with a renewed contract with IMG College and JMI Sports.
According to a copy of the contract acquired by Athens Banner-Herald, Georgia will be paid a sum of $152.5 million over the next 10 years. The school will receive a guaranteed sum of $12.8 million for the 2017-18 academic year. That annual payment will increase each year through the 2026-27 season, at which point the contract maxes out annually at $15.7 million.
For the sake of comparison, Georgia’s previous contract with IMG College was valued at $92.8 million over eight years, an average of $11.6 million per year.
In 2016, it was reported that each SEC school was paid a conference revenue share of $32.7 million for the 2014-2015 year. That was largely thanks to the addition of the SEC Network, which essentially printed money for the conference from the jump. Georgia also signed up for a lucrative apparel deal with Nike in 2014, although apparel contracts pay far less money than media rights deals do (not that an extra couple million here or there is a bad thing).