SPORTS

MSU athletic director Mark Hollis expects Fox deal to boost creativity

Mark Snyder
Detroit Free Press
Michigan State athletic director Mark Hollis

ROSEMONT, Ill. – When Michigan State announced its long-term multimedia rights partnership with Fox on April 21, it appeared to be a major boost to the bottom line.

A 15-year deal in excess of $150 million, it was an influx of money just ahead of the Big Ten’s new media rights deal likely to be signed this summer.

As costs rise — MSU athletic director Mark Hollis said covering an out-of-state athlete is more than $50,000 — any potential revenue sources will help.

But he saw potential for branding and creativity as well in the deal.

“The Fox deal for us was more about relationship,” Hollis said at the Big Ten meetings this week. “There was an upside, but we were generating a lot of those dollars already with what we were doing in-house. For us, it was partnering with a group that we felt like was getting into that segment that we already have some partnerships with BTN.

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“And yet we can do some creative things with what Fox does. I love movies, I love TV shows, and I think you’re going to see some exciting things come out of that as well. We’re always pushing Fox for new ideas. Auburn came on at the same time we did.

“For us it was the right partner at the right time.”

That could mean more prominence for coaches and sport-specific shows.

“With Fox Sports Detroit, with BTN, we feel like they can leverage the Michigan State product differently that will be advantageous for them, but also is going to have a return for us,” Hollis said.

He noted the most money isn’t the lone element driving the decision on media rights deals, but it is also a major factor in the Big Ten’s negotiations.

“It’s an expensive enterprise,” he said about running an athletic department. “At the same time, you want value back to the school. I think each institution is going to look if there’s an upside, what does that look like in athletics and what the rest of campus can do with a growth in funding. Some schools will be able to do more of that, some will do less.”

Contact Mark Snyder at msnyder@freepress.com. Follow him on Twitter at @mark__snyder. 

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