The NCAA Final Four begins tomorrow, but only one game will air on TV5. (Photo credit: Inquirer.net)
The NCAA Season 90 men’s basketball Final Four begins tomorrow, but TV5 will continue to air just one game. ONE!
The second Final Four game between the second-seeded Arellano Chiefs and the third-seeded JRU Heavy Bombers will be the only game airing on the main TV5 network. Meanwhile, the first game between the top-seeded San Beda Red Lions and the fourth-seeded Perpetual Help Altas will be relegated to AksyonTV.
Both games will be held at the Mall of Asia Arena starting at 2:00 p.m.
Having reached the critical point of the season, it is expected that TV5 will air both games of the NCAA Final Four, considering its importance. But as it turned out, old habits do die hard for the Kapatid network.
Consider this: from 1:30 to 4:00 p.m., TV5 airs Tagalized foreign films under the ‘Movie Max 5’ banner. That means for over 2 1/2 hours, the Kapatid network is airing nothing but movies that have been aired over and over again by HBO, Star Movies, and other free TV networks.
So much for being bored.
The only times that the 1:30-4:00 p.m. window became relevant was when important sports events took place. Such was the case during the recently-concluded Youth Olympic Games, FIBA World Cup and Asian Games.
That said, it would have helped TV5 if both games were to air. Instead, they balked at this opportunity, and as a result, a movie will air on the aforementioned timeslot rather than a Final Four game.
The increasing tension between TV5 and the NCAA can no longer be ignored. Three years of timeslot and channel changes, questionable scheduling and personnel decisions, unnecessary gimmicks, lack of promotion by the former, and controversial events such as the Mapua-EAC brawl, are beginning to take its toll on the relationship between the two parties.
And this latest programming decision by TV5 only compounds an already deteriorating situation.
Tomorrow, four NCAA teams will face off to determine a pair of Finals berths. But with TV5 airing just one game, don’t expect anything from their Final Four broadcasts.
From the Tube 
OFF-TOPIC: Due to a whopping attendance records in Araneta, UAAP Finals Game 3 will likely to aired tommorow on ABS-CBN 2.
But it is not sure it Game 3 tommorow pn ABS-CBN or S+A kasi base ito sa plugging nila.
Now for the NCAA, it is seems na medyo malubha na ang coverage ng TV5 doon di na gaanong palakas gaya sa UAAP.
Bawi na lang tayo sa coverage ng Women’s Volleyball at Football (na hanggang Finals ulit) nila.
Yun nga eh. Sobrang taas ng expectations noong kumalas ang NCAA sa ABS at sa TV5 sila nag-sign ng kontrata. Kaso, all those circumstances really hurt their relationship.
At this point, parang hanggang doon na lang ang NCAA sa TV5. Hintayin na lang nating matapos ang kanilang kontrata, then evaluate what’s next.
Online, S+A pa rin daw. Pero tingnan natin bukas.
You know why they are only gonna air the 2nd game and not the 1st? Because everybody knows whats gonna happen on that game. San Beda will beat Perpetual. Just like how Beda defeated Arellano to get the 1st seed last Friday.
Don’t be so sure about it. Just ask Ateneo, anything can happen, kahit mahirap pa ito.
Lumipat na lang siguro ang NCAA sa ibang station. Palala ng palala ang treatment sa TV coverage sa kanila ng TV5. Mas maganda pa ang stint nila noong nasa Studio 23 sila.
Sa GMA News TV na lang sila. Mababaon lang uli sila kapag sa Channel 23, since UAAP ang laging priority nito.
Then, what’s is your take on the NCAA’s negotations with ABS-CBN ?
Article here: http://bleachersbrew.blogspot.com/2015/04/is-ncaa-returning-to-abs-cbn-fold.html
I doubt that will happen. UAAP season now begins in September and the NCAA, which may stick with its June opening, may once again provide complications late in their basketball season.
With 10 schools in their fold, they’d be better off without TV coverage.