Even a highly contagious viral
infection like COVID-19 cannot keep a long-established professional sports
league with an international fandom down. Throughout this month the National
Basketball Association (NBA) has undertaken epic-level preparations for
salvaging the 2020 season with what little time remains this year. In the “NBA
Bubble” isolation zone in Walt Disney World, 22 of the league’s teams have been
practicing under strict health and safety protocols looking ahead to the resumption
of a shortened season in July 31. And thanks to a double-team effort by a local
satellite TV provider and one of the “mobile-com pillars” of the Philippines, NBA-starved
Filipinos will be able to watch the action.
CNN Philippines has it that the upcoming “NBA Bubble” season and
future seasons of the world’s greatest pro basketball league will be accessible
to viewers in the country following a multiyear partnership agreement between
the NBA and a tandem of Cignal and Smart Communications. An official statement
given Monday, July 27, announced that this partnership will enable the local
broadcast of NBA games on free-TV channels TV5 and ONE Sports. Around four
games of the league will be aired on the aforementioned channels, for the 2020
Bubble season and beyond.
Starting July 21, the “seeding
games” that will determine the playoffs ladder for the teams participating in
the Bubble season will be seen on free TV and Cignal, and exclusive free-TV
rights for airing the finals of this short season (from late September to mid-October)
will belong to TV5. Cignal is even going to do one better by launching a local
franchise of the 24/7 basketball-oriented pay-network NBA TV soon. NBA TV
Philippines will take the main network’s original programming and give them a
localized spin a la CNN Philippines. And let us not forget the live games
coverage too.
Meanwhile, exclusive streaming of
NBA TV Philippines will be handled by Smart for paying subscribers of their
over-the-top service, to be accessed via NBA League Pass. Such pampering of the
reputed most basketball-crazy country in Asia was highlighted by NBA Asia managing
director Scott Levy, as he spoke of this powerful broadcasting partnership with
Cignal-Smart. The sentiment is echoed by Cignal TV president/CEO Robert Galang
who says, "With three channels broadcasting the games, Filipinos now have
the chance to experience the NBA live on free TV channels TV5 and ONE Sports,
and on Cignal TV’s NBA TV Philippines in high definition. The game we all love
is now truly home.”
Image from Manila Standard
0 comments:
Post a Comment