Last month, Prime Video gave the go-ahead for a college sports docuseries called Money Game. The production is already living up to that name with Louisiana State University nabbing a $1 million pay day to become the focal point of the show.
Production company Campfire Film & TV struck the million-dollar deal with LSU for the exclusive rights to make The Money Game. The agreement was signed in October, according to Sportico. The docuseries will follow the Tiger teams during the 2023 to 2024 season.
The studio will negotiate with athletes to determine who will be prominently featured in the series. Athletes will be paid via “NIL compensation,” or Name, Image, and Likeness, which is separate from the “talent fee,” depending on their role in the series. Key athletes will do at least one interview for the show.
Sportico said LSU employees, including football coach Brian Kelly, gymnastics coach Jay Clark, and LSU’s Chief Brand Officer Cody Worsham, will not be paid for participation under this deal.
Prime Video has launched several sports programs, such as Thursday Night Football. The streamer has also built out its sports documentary library to include Coach Prime, featuring the University of Colorado Boulder’s Deion Sanders and Kelce with Philadelphia Eagles’ Jason Kelce, brother of Kansas City Chiefs and Super Bowl champion Travis Kelce.
The Money Game is just one of many sports-centric series, but it could set a precedent for more collegiate sports to host documentaries and other productions during the school year. The NCAA’s NIL policy, cemented in 2021, lets college athletes profit from their endorsements and appearances like professional athletes.
On January 25, 2023, The Money Game was approved by Prime Video. The series is a combined effort between Campfire Studios, Axios Entertainment, and former LSU alums Shaquille O’Neal’s Jersey Legends. The series will stream on Prime Video in more than 240 countries and territories. It will be included in the Prime membership, but members may see some brief interruptions as the streamer recently launched ads on its cheapest tier.
The Money Game looks into LSU Athletics with a focus on the university’s top players, coaches, and administrators. Prime Video announced a few of the “most sought-after collegiate athletes,” such as LSU gymnast Olivia Dunne, 2023 Women’s Basketball Final Four Most Outstanding Player Angel Reese, SEC Women’s Basketball Freshman of the Year Flau’jae Johnson, and LSU Tigers quarterback and Heisman winner Jayden Daniels.
Drea Cooper directs the series, which began filming last July. The series will take place over 16 weeks and conclude production in June 2024. LSU has been granted the right to offer notes and objections before each episode is “locked” for edits.