Wake Forest Athletics
Playfly Sports Selected as Multimedia Rights Partner of Wake Forest Athletics
10/1/2026 12:59:00 PM | General
Playfly will be responsible for brand elevation and revenue optimization for Wake Forest Athletics.
WINSTON-SALEM, NC. / NEW YORK – Wake Forest Athletics and Playfly Sports, the sports industry's leading revenue maximization company, today announced a long-term multimedia rights partnership making Playfly the exclusive multimedia rightsholder and corporate sales arm of the Demon Deacons.
The agreement begins July 1, 2027 and will include the optimization of all marquee assets such as jersey patch and court logo sales, as well as NIL activations. As part of its commercialization efforts, Playfly will invest in revenue sources across all sports, driving value creation for Wake Forest Athletics in ways that enhance the student-athlete and fan experiences.
"This partnership is about accelerating the upward growth of Wake Forest Athletics and better serving our student-athletes, fans and broader University community. Playfly brings a fresh approach to how we elevate and extend the Wake Forest brand and grow revenue to achieve our goal of winning championships," said Wake Forest Vice President and Director of Athletics John Currie. "We've found great alignment with the Playfly leadership team and their track record of growth gives me confidence in our future shared success. As we bring The Grounds to life in 2027, we want a partner who understands how professional sports franchises build lasting commercial ecosystems around their venues, and Playfly's experience doing exactly that makes them the right fit."
"Wake Forest is a Power Four program with real momentum and a clear vision for its future, and we're excited to help it get there," said Chris Marinak, President, Playfly Sports. "Our focus is using data and insights to make sure Wake Forest's marquee assets are valued and sold at their true worth, while building dedicated resources in markets like Charlotte. This is a long-term commitment to Wake Forest's growth, and we're ready to get started."
Wake Forest will be Playfly's flagship Power Four and ACC program in North Carolina, the nation's ninth most populous and third fastest growing state. As the college athletics landscape continues to evolve, the two organizations will develop new commercial assets – including jersey patches and court logos – along with fan-facing activations designed to enhance the best fan experience in North Carolina. The partnership will also include an important role for Playfly in the NIL space, where their creative approach, proven at leading Power Four Universities, will directly benefit Wake Forest student-athletes and the companies who partner with them. Throughout this transition, Wake Forest's longstanding corporate partners remain a valued and integral part of the Wake Forest Athletics commercial ecosystem.
With the addition of Wake Forest Athletics, Playfly's multimedia rights portfolio of college properties reaches 32, including recent long-term partnerships with Auburn and Texas A&M.
About Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 60 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN's seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective. Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school, innovative department of engineering and its nationally renowned Program for Leadership and Character, which prepares students to live with purpose, integrity and courage., Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
About Playfly Sports
Playfly Sports, the sports industry's leading revenue maximization company, drives growth for its partners across the sports ecosystem – including 2,000+ brands, 100+ professional teams, 65+ college athletic departments, all U.S. local sports networks and associated streaming platforms, and other marquee properties. Its fan engagement platform allows its partners to reach and engage over 85% of all U.S sports fans. Playfly builds and implements custom strategies across media, sponsorship, premium experiences, ticketing and fan engagement offerings through proprietary data, innovative technology and compelling storytelling. Playfly operates an expansive portfolio of services with a data-driven and fan-focused approach to maximize revenue yield in key growth areas, such as media, sponsorship, ticketing, premium experiences and fan engagement offerings. Founded in September of 2020, Playfly Sports is now home to approximately 1,000 team members located across 43 U.S. states and internationally dedicated to maximizing the impact of highly passionate local sports fans. The company has been named a Best Place to Work in Sports by Sports Business Journal, Front Office Sports, and Newsweek. To learn more, follow Playfly Sports on social media platforms or visit www.Playfly.com.
The agreement begins July 1, 2027 and will include the optimization of all marquee assets such as jersey patch and court logo sales, as well as NIL activations. As part of its commercialization efforts, Playfly will invest in revenue sources across all sports, driving value creation for Wake Forest Athletics in ways that enhance the student-athlete and fan experiences.
"This partnership is about accelerating the upward growth of Wake Forest Athletics and better serving our student-athletes, fans and broader University community. Playfly brings a fresh approach to how we elevate and extend the Wake Forest brand and grow revenue to achieve our goal of winning championships," said Wake Forest Vice President and Director of Athletics John Currie. "We've found great alignment with the Playfly leadership team and their track record of growth gives me confidence in our future shared success. As we bring The Grounds to life in 2027, we want a partner who understands how professional sports franchises build lasting commercial ecosystems around their venues, and Playfly's experience doing exactly that makes them the right fit."
"Wake Forest is a Power Four program with real momentum and a clear vision for its future, and we're excited to help it get there," said Chris Marinak, President, Playfly Sports. "Our focus is using data and insights to make sure Wake Forest's marquee assets are valued and sold at their true worth, while building dedicated resources in markets like Charlotte. This is a long-term commitment to Wake Forest's growth, and we're ready to get started."
Wake Forest will be Playfly's flagship Power Four and ACC program in North Carolina, the nation's ninth most populous and third fastest growing state. As the college athletics landscape continues to evolve, the two organizations will develop new commercial assets – including jersey patches and court logos – along with fan-facing activations designed to enhance the best fan experience in North Carolina. The partnership will also include an important role for Playfly in the NIL space, where their creative approach, proven at leading Power Four Universities, will directly benefit Wake Forest student-athletes and the companies who partner with them. Throughout this transition, Wake Forest's longstanding corporate partners remain a valued and integral part of the Wake Forest Athletics commercial ecosystem.
With the addition of Wake Forest Athletics, Playfly's multimedia rights portfolio of college properties reaches 32, including recent long-term partnerships with Auburn and Texas A&M.
About Wake Forest Athletics
Wake Forest University is known for its distinctive combination of world-class academics, unrivaled campus experience, intimate learning environment and Power 4 athletics in a top-growing metro market. A Charter member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, the Demon Deacons have won 60 conference titles and are one of nine ACC schools to win 11 or more national championships. Additionally, with 1.7 million people within 30 miles of campus, Wake Forest anchors the Winston-Salem and Triad market, which ranks as ESPN's seventh-best nationally from a viewership perspective. Wake Forest's comprehensive excellence includes its highly regarded school of medicine, business school, law school, innovative department of engineering and its nationally renowned Program for Leadership and Character, which prepares students to live with purpose, integrity and courage., Wake Forest has campuses across Winston-Salem, Charlotte and Washington, D.C. – providing many academic offerings to students from across the nation and around the world.
Learn more about Wake Forest University at wfu.edu and at GoDeacs.com.
About Playfly Sports
Playfly Sports, the sports industry's leading revenue maximization company, drives growth for its partners across the sports ecosystem – including 2,000+ brands, 100+ professional teams, 65+ college athletic departments, all U.S. local sports networks and associated streaming platforms, and other marquee properties. Its fan engagement platform allows its partners to reach and engage over 85% of all U.S sports fans. Playfly builds and implements custom strategies across media, sponsorship, premium experiences, ticketing and fan engagement offerings through proprietary data, innovative technology and compelling storytelling. Playfly operates an expansive portfolio of services with a data-driven and fan-focused approach to maximize revenue yield in key growth areas, such as media, sponsorship, ticketing, premium experiences and fan engagement offerings. Founded in September of 2020, Playfly Sports is now home to approximately 1,000 team members located across 43 U.S. states and internationally dedicated to maximizing the impact of highly passionate local sports fans. The company has been named a Best Place to Work in Sports by Sports Business Journal, Front Office Sports, and Newsweek. To learn more, follow Playfly Sports on social media platforms or visit www.Playfly.com.
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