Learfield Sports partners with Snapchat, delivers Boise State deal

US collegiate sports rights holder Learfield Sports has signed an innovative partnership with social media platform Snapchat and has brokered a broadcast rights extension for Boise State University.

The agency, which manages the multimedia rights and coordinates sponsorship initiatives for nearly 100 collegiate properties, said its partnership with the visual storytelling app will leverage Snapchat Live Stories, which allow Snapchatters at the same event to contribute their personal perspectives through video and photo ‘Snaps’ to one collective story.

“This is a unique opportunity to help our school partners bring the incredible college sports experience to millions of hard-to-reach millennials on one of the most popular and fastest growing mobile platforms,” Learfield senior vice-president and chief content officer Joe Ferreira said. “Live Stories deliver a sense of community and excitement in a timely manner, a feeling no other medium can emulate.”

Meanwhile, Bronco Sports Properties, a property of Learfield Sports and the exclusive athletics multimedia rights holder for Boise State, has signed a five-year extension for KTVB-TV, an affiliate of the NBC network, to remain as the Broncos’ television partner.

The partnership makes official the continuation of KTVB’s broadcasting of Bronco’s coaches’ shows and other related programming. The station has held the rights for the last 10 years and KTVB’s sister station, KTFT, will continue to broadcast various Bronco programming as well.