Courtesy Atlanta Journal Constitution

(March 10, 2009) The University of Georgia athletics association is negotiating a new marketing and media deal that would bring in more revenue, expand offerings of original digital content and revamp the Bulldogs’ radio relationships.

The deal is under negotiation with North Carolina-based ISP Sports, but is not completed, Georgia associate athletics director for external operations Alan Thomas said Monday.

What’s being discussed, Thomas said, is bundling the school’s marketing and media rights into one package with one agency rather than having several separate deals. Currently, most of Georgia’s marketing and sponsorship deals are handled by ISP, its radio network and coaches’ shows by WSB Radio, and its Web rights by JumpTV.

The industry trend is to consolidate such arrangements.

Sports Business Journal said a consolidated Georgia deal with ISP could be among the most lucrative in college athletics, rivaling the $10-million-a-year deals by Florida and Texas. Georgia’s existing deals bring in revenue of about $8 million combined.

A new deal with ISP would not necessarily signal an end of Georgia football and men’s basketball broadcasts on WSB-AM.

The station currently assembles Georgia’s radio network and sells advertising on the games, as well as serving as the Bulldogs’ flagship broadcaster. Even if the assembling and selling go to ISP, Georgia would have “a strong desire” for the broadcasts to stay on WSB, Thomas said. That could be accomplished by the station becoming a network affiliate.

WSB Radio director of sports marketing Neil Williamson noted the station has carried Georgia games since the late 1930s and would like to continue. He declined further comment.

On the digital side, Thomas said Georgia intends to grow advertising revenue by increasing the content it produces for delivery via the Internet and wireless devices.

“The pathways to reach donors, alums and fans continue to grow significantly,” he said.

Thomas said Georgia likely will decide in the next month or so whether to complete the deal with ISP or put the package up for bid by others. Georgia’s existing deals run through June 30, 2010, but could be shortened.