Deion Sanders' manager, Colorado reach deal on Amazon film series being shot on campus
On the day he was introduced as the new football coach at Colorado, Deion Sanders announced that he was going to run his program a little differently than others in the marketing department.
"I want you to get ready to start seeing cameras because we film documentaries," he said Dec. 4.
The University of Colorado since has entered into a contract with Sanders’ business manager that shows just how differently things will be run behind the scenes as Sanders plans another documentary series to follow the "Coach Prime" series he did previously as coach at Jackson State.
USA TODAY Sports obtained the contract, which was signed this month by Colorado chancellor Phil DiStefano and Sanders’ business manager, Constance Schwartz-Morini, the co-founder of SMAC Productions and SMAC Entertainment in Los Angeles.
What does contract with Colorado say?
In exchange for filming on campus in Boulder and the publicity that will flow from it, Colorado agreed to give SMAC Productions certain rights and terms, which include highlights described below. No cash compensation for Colorado is mentioned, unlike similar arrangements in college sports in recent years, including at Michigan, which got $2.25 million for access and licensing tied to its football show on Amazon in 2017.
A Colorado spokesman confirmed the university did not ask for financial compensation and noted the advantages the university will get from being featured on Amazon Prime in an unscripted series about Sanders in his role as Colorado's coach.
"The exposure of hiring Coach Prime has already paid dividends in the form of record-breaking ticket and merchandise sales, and we are confident the documentary will only increase these 'Prime Effect' impacts throughout the university," said the spokesman, Steve Hurlbert.
At the same time, the deal doesn't come without risk, as noted by a sports business attorney who reviewed the contract at the request of USA TODAY Sports.
"They’re putting all their eggs in the Deion basket − let’s be honest, right?" said Baird Fogel of the firm Eversheds Sutherland. "They’re going all-in. If they were being conservative about this, they’d say, 'OK, let’s see how he does his first year, and maybe this might be a good idea for next year.' You think you know what you have in Deion, but you don’t. You don’t know how the season is going to go. You don’t know how he’s going to react."
Cameras and meetings
The deal turns the athletic department into a part-time film production business on the side and says the producer, SMAC Productions, shall participate in weekly meetings about the project with the Colorado athletic director or his designees. In addition to these meetings, the producer is to "meaningfully consult" with CU staff about content of each episode of the series.
It also gives SMAC Entertainment another big business role on campus. Besides Sanders, the company manages Colorado cornerback-receiver Travis Hunter and Sanders’ two sons on the team, Shedeur and Shilo, who are SMAC clients in deals involving their names, images and likenesses. Schwartz-Morini's nephew, Sam Morini, is a SMAC employee and Deion Sanders' day-to-day manager.
“This documentary gives an unprecedented look at one of the highest-profile college coaching jobs in America," a spokesperson for SMAC Entertainment said in a statement to USA TODAY Sports. "The access and participation from the school and the students will showcase real-time moments of turning a football program around while bringing global exposure to the University of Colorado.”
It is part of Sanders' marketing and recruiting strategy to offer heightened exposure for his players. Sanders’ other son, Deion Jr., operates one of several YouTube channels that document the daily activities of the Buffaloes with Sanders’ permission but are separate from this docuseries, which will air on a date to be determined.
Editorial control
The contract gives Colorado input on editing, but not final control, and says the producer "shall defer" to the regulatory experts employed by CU on issues involving compliance with NCAA rules and laws.
It states Colorado has the right to request removal of any footage "that a reasonable person would deem portrays CU, its students, faculty, and/or staff in an extremely negative manner and is damaging to the value of the university brand."
In turn, the producer "shall give meaningful consideration to CU’s reasonable concerns of the content prior to the initial commercial release of such episode."
Hurlbert of CU said there has been a "positive, collaborative working partnership between SMAC and CU Boulder on this project" from the start.
'Dramatic value'
The producer gets dramatic license, according to the contract.
"Producer has the right to deviate from the historical facts that took place in order to enhance the dramatic value of the Series, provided that in no event shall Producer defame CU's Property, CU Features marks, or CU Individuals or portray the same in a grossly misrepresentative manner in or in connection with the Series,” the contract states.
Fogel, the sports business attorney, said this is not uncommon for such projects, but it also poses a risk for Colorado because it allows the producers to take liberties and "spin their own narrative."
Since the producer effectively is Sanders' business manager, the film and its narrative will be in his interests. Will his interests always be the same as the university's?
Fogel cited the recent controversy involving the 2009 movie "The Blind Side," about former NFL player Michael Oher, who said he recently learned he had never been adopted by the Tuohy family, contrary to what the family and film portrayed.
"It wins an Oscar and all of a sudden people are at each other’s throats 10 years later because they took dramatic license," Fogel said.
CU player involvement
The contract gives the producer a wide range of filming opportunities with cameras on campus property.
The "producer shall have the right to include, without limitation, any and all artwork, designs, photographs, third party vendors and other materials which appear on or about the Property (and) to use the name, trademark, signs and identifying features of CU," it states.
Colorado also agreed to provide the producer with a "reasonable amount" of CU-owned footage and archive material related to CU with the perpetual right to use such material on a royalty-free basis in connection with the series.
Additionally, the contract says the producer has the right "to use the name, voice, likeness and/or any biographical information of all of CU’s players, coaches, staff, students and other individuals associated with CU in, and/or in connection with the Series and in conjunction with the exploitation, publicity, promotion and advertising thereof throughout the universe, in all media and in perpetuity."
The parties agreed that the producer shall secure any media releases from any CU individuals or other individuals that are filmed for the production, "if and as required by law." It states the producer will provide CU with the copies of these releases.
If the producer wants to film in CU residence halls or academic settings, the contract requires permission from the CU provost.
Who gets paid for it?
The parties agreed that the production "could be beneficial for the parties."
"As such, it is CU’s intent to positively collaborate with Producer to allow production of the Series on the CU campus for the duration of Sanders employment relationship with CU," the contract states.
It says CU agrees that the series "shall be deemed works-for-hire" for the producer and that the producer shall be deemed to be the sole authors of it.
Colorado has benefited from huge buzz since hiring Sanders. After a 1-11 season last year, it sold out its spring game for the first time ever and sold out season tickets for the first time since 1996. Amid the publicity, the university even reported that a record $28 million had been given to Colorado athletics through the Buff Club in fiscal 2023.
Similar publicity from this project is its own form of compensation, though other athletics programs such as Michigan and Navy have received financial compensation in exchange for their cooperation in documentaries.
Kentucky basketball coach John Calipari also received $1 million from the producers of a docuseries on Kentucky basketball and said he donated it to charity.
The documentary will "showcase CU Boulder to new, worldwide audiences who may not be familiar with our university," said Hurlbert of CU. "Bringing together two iconic institutions like Coach Prime and the University of Colorado we feel will have a long-term positive effect on the university by bringing in new visibility and excitement."
Fogel agrees that it will drive fan engagement and interest in the Buffs.
"They are completely taking advantage of their moment and creating more potential revenue for the school," Fogel said. "They also hope this attracts talent."
Future options
Amazon streamed a four-part series produced by SMAC that documented Sanders’ last season at Jackson State in 2022. Before that, SMAC produced other episodes shown on Barstool Sports.
The contract states that if the producer secures additional seasons of the series, CU agrees to engage in negotiations over an option to extend the agreement for continued access to the campus for filming.
The CU chancellor may decline to extend the filming of the series on the CU campus "for good cause" beyond the 2023 season, "including, without limitation, if the burden to campus operations outweighs the benefit of continuation of the Series," the contract states.
For clarity, the contract notes that the end of the 2023 season for filming purposes includes "all coaching and team activities following CU’s final game, up to and including the team banquet."
SMAC Entertainment was co-founded by Schwartz-Morini and Pro Football Hall of Famer Michael Strahan. Its other clients include sportscaster Erin Andrews and another Pro Football Hall of Famer, Tony Gonzalez.
Sanders' first game as Colorado's coach is Sept. 2 at TCU.
Follow reporter Brent Schrotenboer @Schrotenboer. Email: [email protected]