CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – UVA football player Donovan Platt is a host, and video shooting began during this bye weekend on a social media show which is part of a new UVA Athletics venture called Corner Media Co. Platt is hosting a program called “The 5th Side” in the effort Virginia Athletics has begun in partnership with Boston, MA-based College Sports Company.
“We need an in-house media network, that’s where we’ve come to,” said UVA basketball legend and Deputy Athletics Director Wally Walker. “A few other schools have gone there, and we’ve been talking to College Sports Company for over a year now and we’ve gotten a deal done.”
Corner Media’s description of Platt’s show is, “This hard-hitting series takes fans deep inside UVA football. From the locker room to the practice field to game day itself, Donavon brings raw, unfiltered conversations and stories from athletes who have repped UVA on the gridiron.”
Corner Media Co. will cover all UVA sports, with an emphasis on revenue-generating sports. Two other shows are launching along with “The 5th Side”.
Women’s basketball’s Paris Clark and Gabby White are hosting “Hoos on the Mic” that, according to Corner Media, “spotlights the powerhouse performances of UVA’s women’s athletes, sharing stories, insights, and updates straight from the players wearing orange and blue.
Men’s basketball’s Devin Tillis hosts “Good Ol’ Hoops” that Corner Media describes “this weekly show takes fans inside the world of Virginia Basketball through the eyes of the athletes themselves – offering authentic reactions, behind-the-scenes stories, and in-depth conversations about the game.”
Walker told Cville Right Now the ideas and content are generated completely from the athletes themselves.
“Our athletes get broadcasting experience, they get compensated for it, and it’s a great way for our fans to see behind the curtain and learn something they might not otherwise because the content is driven from the players.”
College Sports Co. has previously worked with Penn State, which Walker first noticed, as well as ACC rivals Clemson and Louisville.
Walker said, “They’ve done some shoots at other schools in dorm rooms, and we have some better settings here than dorm rooms… maybe not, maybe not, dorm rooms could be fun.”
A Virginia Athletics release says, “Corner Media Co aims to become the must-follow destination for UVA fans beyond the official athletic accounts, offering a unique blend of access, authenticity, and entertainment. The collaboration with UVA will deliver high-quality content through all digital platforms and create sponsorship opportunities for student-athletes and brands to deepen their engagement with branded content for its fans.”
Walker said they’re looking for partners to benefit from this effort.
“We need help from local businesses, and again it’s not charity. We want them to view this content and be willing sponsors because we think it will be of value to them,” Walker noted. “I hope there are people out there, small businesses or any businesses or anybody with a marketing budget who will consider sponsoring these shows, because I think it will work for them.”
