DirecTV has reached a multi-year agreement with six major university athletic programs ahead of the 2025 college football season, the company announced this week.
The partnership, brokered with media and technology firm Learfield, brings together Duke University, The Ohio State University, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the University of Oregon, the United States Military Academy at West Point, and the University of Texas. The deal spans across multiple sports, including football, men’s and women’s basketball, and other athletic programs, and is designed to deliver tailored experiences for students, alumni and fans across the country.
As part of the arrangement, DirecTV will receive enterprise-wide intellectual property rights to use official school logos and marks. The company will also benefit from in-venue and TV-visible signage, along with digital media integrations aimed at amplifying its messaging to millions of college sports fans whether they are watching games in person, at home, or on the go.
The first activation will take place during the Texas versus Ohio State football game on August 30, where DirecTV will debut its Fan Zone experience. These on-site activations will feature interactive “Best Seat in the House” opportunities, pregame viewing powered by DirecTV’s satellite-free streaming service, and immersive environments that replicate the comfort of a living room on game day. Fans will also have the chance to explore DirecTV’s Genre Pack offerings, including MySports, which highlights its ability to deliver flexible sports viewing without the need for a satellite dish.
“College sports unite fans like few things can, and collaborating with these six legendary programs allows DirecTV to show up in meaningful, authentic ways,” said Kelly Jo Sands, the Senior Vice President of Digital Marketing at DirecTV. “From in-venue activations to social media content and NIL partnerships, we’re committed to delivering ‘Game Day, Your Way’ across every touchpoint, for both men’s and women’s teams alike.”
The company also plans to integrate a name, image and likeness (NIL) program into the partnership, working with student athletes from the participating schools. These athletes will contribute to content creation, social amplification, and local activations, extending DirecTV’s reach into communities beyond the stadium footprint.
DirecTV’s presence will expand throughout the academic year, starting with marquee football games that include Oregon State at Oregon on September 20, Clemson at North Carolina on October 4, Georgia Tech at Duke on October 18, Penn State at Ohio State on November 1, and Texas A&M at Texas on November 28. The company says its overall marketing strategy will combine traditional and digital advertising with live events, influencer campaigns and social content.
“This agreement with DirecTV showcases the advantage of leveraging the rights to school logos and student-athlete brand power to tap into fan bases and create authentic connections,” said Bill Hirsh, the Senior Vice President of Corporate Sales at Learfield. “We’re thrilled to collaborate with DirecTV throughout the upcoming college athletics season to deliver their products and offerings to fans all over the country.”
