Infiniti, an NCAA corporate partner since ‘11, has agreed to renew its deal for multiple years, industry sources said. Financial terms were not available, but the renewal has been in the discussion stage since March Madness and the two sides finalized it this week. Many of the deal points will remain the same, including the Infiniti “Round by Round” bracket challenge, which donates money to the NABC’s Coaches vs. Cancer initiative for every correct pick. Infiniti touted that it would generate close to $700,000 in donations this year. Infiniti works with OMD and Optimum Sports on its NCAA program. Nissan, which makes the Infiniti brand, also has a strong presence in college sports with 100 school deals, but it is not part of the NCAA relationship. Infiniti shares the NCAA’s auto category with GM, which markets the Buick brand. The NCAA’s rights are managed and sold jointly by Turner Sports and CBS. In separate discussions, the rights holders are engaged with multiple companies to fill the QSR category, sources said. Burger King exited its NCAA deal earlier this year. NCAA partnerships are believed to cost in the mid-to-high seven figures in rights fees with another $10M or more in advertising commitments.
