Kansas State Athletics Awards Marketing Rights to Learfield
Apr 07, 2005 | General
The deal becomes effective July 1 and runs through June 2015. It includes K-State’s exclusive radio broadcast rights, which Learfield acquired in February from Mid America Sports Network, as well as rights to K-State’s statewide television package and other athletics marketing and sponsorship inventory.
Terms of the agreement were not disclosed, but Weiser indicated K-State would receive an annual cash guarantee that in the first year nearly doubles the $1.1 million K-State was scheduled to receive for its radio rights and continues to escalate each succeeding year of the contract. In addition, K-State will have the opportunity to receive additional income based on an annual revenue sharing formula if Learfield exceeds specified sales goals.
“I am excited and proud to announce this agreement, which represents the largest revenue contract in K-State Athletics history,” Weiser said. “This provides a substantial and stable revenue stream for the long-term growth of our department. In Learfield Communications, we are partnering with the leader in the collegiate sports broadcasting and multimedia marketing business which brings a great amount of expertise and resources that we believe will allow us to continue expanding the reach of Wildcat Athletics to our fan base.”
“We’re thrilled with the expansion of our partnership with K-State Athletics,” said Greg Brown, senior vice president for Learfield. “We have tremendous confidence in the administrative leadership of the department and in the caliber of the athletics programs. This agreement clearly demonstrates that confidence.”
Weiser said the agreement culminated two months of discussions to turn over responsibility for sales of K-State’s marketing inventory to Learfield. A dedicated property management, sales and corporate sponsorship staff known as K-State Sports Properties will be established by Learfield and housed in the Athletics Department.
Most notably among the inventory to be managed by KSSP are the 29-station K-State Radio Network and the K-State Television Network, which produces statewide telecasts of men’s and women’s basketball, volleyball and baseball games distributed on Fox Sports Midwest in addition to the Bill Snyder, Jim Wooldridge and Deb Patterson coaches shows. KSSP will also have sales rights for available stadium scoreboard and venue signage, game-day and special event sponsorships, game programs and other printed promotional materials.
K-State is the 19th member of the Learfield sports family, which includes Big 12 Conference schools
Learfield Communications was founded in 1972 as the Missouri Network, Inc., a small farm network heard over six
