Van Wagner Sports & Entertainment deepened its pool of college clients by acquiring the multimedia rights to the West Coast Conference and three of its member schools.
Loyola Marymount, Pepperdine and San Francisco signed deals in recent weeks to turn over their marketing and media rights to Van Wagner, which entered the college multimedia space in November 2014.
The firm also owns the rights at Florida International, Georgia State, Siena and Stony Brook, giving Van Wagner an array of mid-major schools to build on.
By combining the WCC, which is considered one of the best basketball leagues outside of the power five conferences, with three of its schools, Van Wagner hopes to create seasonlong sponsorship programs that extend beyond campus to the WCC’s championship events.
“Most conference deals are defined by the value of their championships, and that makes sense because of their visibility,” said Mike Palisi, a Van Wagner executive vice president who came from Nelligan in 2014 to start the collegiate services division. “But to deliver a true seasonlong marketing platform, the schools help you hit a broader audience and provide more digital and social media opportunities.”
The agreements with the three WCC schools give Van Wagner the rights for local broadcasts, digital and venue signage, marketing, as well as promotional rights to athletic marks, access to tickets and hospitality.
The deals are typically a revenue share, with the schools getting a percentage of sales.
