SANTA ANA, CA / BERWYN, PA (March 19, 2025) – Mater Dei High School, a prestigious institution with a national reputation for excellence in athletics, and Playfly Sports, the sports industry’s leading revenue maximizer, today announced the first-ever multimedia rights (MMR) agreement between an individual high school and a third-party partner. This 10-year partnership that spans through the 2034-35 school year will leverage Playfly’s industry expertise to enhance sponsorship opportunities, media exposure, and fan engagement.
Playfly will apply its proven approach that spans more than 27 collegiate athletic departments to deliver substantial revenue growth and breakthrough brand partnerships to Mater Dei. This collaboration will not only expand the Mater Dei brand regionally and nationally by amplifying the success of its teams and student-athletes but will also introduce new sponsorship opportunities that align with the school’s legacy of excellence.
Additionally, Playfly will leverage its advanced digital strategies to enhance content creation, delivering more engaging storytelling across multiple platforms. Fans can also expect an elevated experience at the Santa Ana Bowl and on Mater Dei’s campus, with enhanced activations that deepen engagement. The partnership will further support the growth of Mater Dei’s online and gameday merchandising efforts, providing new ways for supporters to connect with the school’s storied athletic tradition.
“Playfly’s explosive growth is driven by their unique expertise in monetization and fan engagement. We welcomed the opportunity to team up in further elevating the Mater Dei brand,” said Khaled Holmes ’08, Mater Dei Director of Development – Athletics. “Having had the chance to continue my athletic career at USC and in the NFL, I understand how innovative initiatives enhance the student-athlete experience. This alliance not only supports our student-athletes in new and exciting ways but also reinforces our commitment to leading the way in high school athletics.”
The agreement is complemented by Playfly’s recent acquisition of Paragon Marketing Group and its deep expertise in high school sports marketing, event creation, live production, and social media. Paragon has a 20-year history of collaborating with Mater Dei athletics, representing multiple brands and orchestrating high-profile events that have showcased the school’s football and basketball teams on national broadcasts. Playfly will immediately team with Paragon to provide Mater Dei with expanded opportunities for media exposure, brand development, and innovative sponsorship activations.
“At Playfly, we believe in the power of high school sports to connect communities and drive meaningful impact,” said Christy Hedgpeth, President of Playfly Sports Properties. “Mater Dei’s tradition of excellence, both academically and athletically, offers a full portfolio of compelling assets we can deliver to brands. This transformational collaboration is a testament to the growing opportunities in high school athletics.”
“This relationship provides Mater Dei High School a greater ability to create, implement, and deliver a comprehensive and quality marketing, promotion, and media production program,” said Mater Dei President Michael Brennan. “By increasing this ability, we hope to provide more opportunities for those who seek a faith-based education. Our purpose will always be to utilize our resources to develop committed servant leaders that willfully choose goodness. We are grateful to be part of the Playfly family and excitedly welcome them to the Mater Dei family.”
CONTACT:
Allison Bergeron ‘96
Executive Director of Communications & Media Relations
Mater Dei High School
(E) abergeron@materdei.org
Kyle Gurganious
Director, Marketing and Communications
Playfly Sports
(E) kyle.gurganious@playfly.com
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ABOUT MATER DEI HIGH SCHOOL
Mater Dei High School is a Catholic, co-educational, college preparatory high school of the Diocese of Orange, California. Our mission is to provide a holistic education rooted in Catholic faith, values, and the tradition of Honor, Glory, and Love. We are renowned for being a warm, welcoming, and diverse community where students flourish academically, athletically, artistically, and spiritually while embodying servant leadership. We empower our students to develop into ethical and inspirational leaders who positively impact their communities and the world.
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.
