CPI has a new cable channel in LIGA, which will eventually serve as the main home of the 2018 FIFA World Cup (Logo courtesy of Creative Programs Inc.)
ABS-CBN’s Creative Programs Inc. has a new cable channel anew.
Following the closure of TAG, ABS-CBN Regional Channel and Hero, CPI went back to work and quietly established a new sports-oriented cable channel called LIGA. The channel’s content will eventually be focused on the 2018 FIFA World Cup, but for the time being, it airs live and classic UAAP men’s basketball and women’s volleyball matches as well as the World Cup qualifiers.
LIGA is served to complement S+A, ABS-CBN’s free TV channel dedicated to sports. While ABS-CBN Sports is the current rightsholder for the World Cup, its main channel S+A may not be enough to shoulder the burden due to its other sports commitments both internationally and locally.
Thus an alternate channel was needed to pick up the slack. Enter LIGA, which is currently on test broadcast with an official launch soon to be announced.
This is not the first time that CPI decided to establish its own sports channel. During the ensuing controversy surrounding SkyCable and Solar Entertainment in 2008 regarding carriage of the latter’s channels, CPI appeased to the demands of some sports fans with the launch of Balls, which lasted seven years before CPI ended its broadcasts in favor of S+A.
But unlike Balls which catered more to the upper echelon of society, LIGA will be more mass-oriented in nature. This despite the fact that it will contain many of the events that Balls used to air.
Now that LIGA is about to be unleashed, one can only hope that this channel will benefit sports fans in more ways than one. Not only that, as the home of the World Cup this June, football fans will be more excited than ever to see their football heroes strut their stuff in the world’s biggest stage.
Good luck.
From the Tube 
NOW it can be told, drop hero+tag+arc, pursue liga: GENIUS
Paano magiging genius yan? Eh ang mahal ng binili ng ABS para lang makuha yung rights para sa World Cup. Kaya ang nangyari, nagsara ang TAG, ARC at Hero para lang sa LIGA dahil kailangang ma-cover nila yung gastos dahil lang sa World Cup.
Hopefully, Balls 2.0 last longer than Balls 1.0 and I hope ABS would stop the notion that their channels are exclusive to Sky subscribers.
The same thing should apply to Cignal’s exclusive channels. Exclusivity is hurting PHTV and something needs to be done to make it a fair competition.
I hope so. Going back to the topic about Liga aka Balls 2.0, will there be a huge chance for the channel to aquire major sports properties if the network does perform well?
Maybe. However, for all intents and purposes, Liga is created specifically for the World Cup since S+A cannot accommodate all matches. It could also be seen as an alternate channel for live UAAP and possibly NCAA events as well. In short, Liga is created solely to complement S+A.
Wait until every details known
Its not a complement channel to s&a, its hilarious to drop 3 bombs in a single enemy, its crazy to drop anew when that single target enemy has fallen
Napakajudgmental mo naman kaagad. Why don’t you click this link and see for yourself. It’s obvious that you don’t get the bigger picture.
http://abscbnpr.com/abs-cbn-launches-new-cable-sports-channel-liga/
Judgemental what?
Its the 2nd and 6th comment in this thread that is judgemental
Its pr, business motives and strategies may not be disclosed completely
Again i say, its too early to JUDGE liga as only a complement channel for an existing one after taking down 3
Bahala ka na nga diyan. You’re the only one who is complicated and is oblivious to the bottom line. That’s all you do. Go rant all you want, I don’t care.
Also, I’ll never forgive you for your rant against the Billboard charts. If you don’t agree with what the blog says, then STOP READING AND VISITING THIS BLOG. Simple lang yun. Kung hindi ka sang-ayon then huwag ka nang magpakita uli.
There’s the comment box for the purpose
I did comment, used the same
Would you rather not want this utility? Or not read non conforming comments?
Here’s a thing. Para matapos na yung gulo, bakit di mo kaya i-explain ang dahilan ng comment mo na ‘genius’ move ang pag-launch ng LIGA pagkatapos tanggalin ang Hero, TAG at ARC. Tapos explain mo rin kung bakit maaga pa para sabihing complement channel ng S+A ang LIGA. Gusto ko maganda at malinaw ang mga paliwanag mo. At kung ako sa’yo mag-Tagalog ka. Maliwanag ba ang mga sinabi ko?
Wuh scared
Keep a note, i will 😉
Like I said, dapat Tagalog ang comment mo, ok?
What a certain user named Bula said was wrong. The reason was changing viewer habits. Sa case ng ARC, TVP regionals are already available on ABS-CBN News YouTube channel and they’re still alive on TFC kahit puro MagTV Na! ang content. Sa case ng Tag, I presume continuing competition with Viva-owned TMC. Sa case ng Hero, it’s basically the way anime fans watch anime nowadays. They have watched animes online and the market interest of animes is now fading and the interest of Korean dramas is now on renaissance era.
Basically, what killed these three channels is the ongoing spread of online streaming services like Netflix, iWanTV, HOOQ, iFlix, and others. You can watch your favorite TV shows everytime, everywhere.
As for the World Cup in Russia, I would wonder if ABS would succeed in covering the global football event, just like the two previous World Cups that they covered (South Africa in 2010 and Brazil in 2014 via now-defunct Balls). I will even wonder myself when TV5 will end its endless spending spree.
Safe to say I don’t need Bula’s explanation anymore. It’s obvious that so-called ‘genius’ move according to him/her is simply obnoxious. And why wait for every detail to be known when in fact it’s also so obvious that ABS planned Liga to be S+A’s complement channel. More than just the World Cup they’re airing live UAAP volleyball and football as well.
Maybe the PFL should consider airing on S+A and/or Liga instead. Might give them more exposure, and considering ABS does have a reputation for caring about sports and increasing their exposure, they would be in good hands.
Probably, but ABS-CBN Sports is too loaded with all these sporting events that it might not accommodate the PFL at all.
Will Fifa world cup air on Liga
They’ll air this June. Haven’t you read the news on Liga?