University of Georgia football fans are saying enough is enough after the Bulldogs placed game highlights behind a third-party site with a $20 paywall, claiming the funds will be directed to NIL.
According to Georgia Dogs, Glory Glory is a one-of-a-kind fan ecosystem that tells stories of the student-athletes and coaches. UGA fans can sign up at Red, Black or Silver membership tiers, with the $20 per month Red tier as the cheapest option. In exchange, they receive unique content and access to exclusive merchandise, like the game highlights.
However, no amount of unique content could overcome the fan criticism. WSBTV 2 Atlanta reported that when the Bulldogs shared a link to last weekend’s game highlights on X, and the link led to Glory Glory’s paywall, the backlash was swift.
“Do you have any idea how much money I’ve spent to attend this university and support this program over the years? Show me the freaking highlights; the fanbase is bleeding cash week in and week out,” one fan wrote on X.
UGA’s plea for additional fan-funding for revenue sharing and NIL initiatives is common across many of the country’s top programs, as more and more athletics departments place the burden of funding a competitive team on the fans. From “talent fees” assessed on season tickets to NIL collectives, fans are accustomed to paying for their winning teams, but in UGA’s case, many were quick to point out that a version of the game highlights remain free on YouTube. So why pay $20?
“Putting highlights behind a pay wall is an indicator of the sad spot this sport is heading,” wrote another fan on X.
Adding fuel to the Bulldogs’ fire, last weekend’s UGA game was not available to watch on major news channels. The game streamed on SEC+, an arm of SEC Network and the ESPN app that required a specific login, restricting who would watch the first win of the season.
