FTT Rants: PBA Postpones Ginebra-Rain or Shine Game 2, But Makes Foolish Move

Talk about an unexpected postponement in the heat of the moment.

Game 2 of the PBA Commissioner’s Cup semifinals between the Rain or Shine Elasto Painters and the Barangay Ginebra San Miguel was supposed to be played Tuesday night. Instead, severe monsoon rains caused by typhoon Henry forced the league to postpone the game for the sake of safety to the players, staff and spectators.

1/2 Your PBA is cancelling its game today due to floods and the continuing inclement weather. Safety and security of the fans, players and officials are always of utmost importance. #WeArePBA

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 17, 2018

But rather than moving said game to later tonight, the PBA made a seemingly foolish decision. They decided to reschedule Game 2 of Ginebra-Rain or Shine to Thursday night, while keeping Game 3 of the Alaska Aces-San Miguel Beermen series to its original schedule.

2/2 Game 2 of the best-of-5 semifinals series between Barangay Ginebra San Miguel and Rain or Shine Elastopainters is rescheduled on Thursday, July 19, 7pm at Smart Araneta Coliseum.

Maraming salamat po at mag-ingat po tayong lahat.#WeArePBA

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 17, 2018

Considering that the Beermen are up by two games over the Aces and on the verge of a sweep, it puts both Ginebra and Rain or Shine at a distinct disadvantage. Should the latter series go to a Game 5 next Wednesday and assuming San Miguel would in fact sweep Alaska tonight, the Beermen will have the luxury of rest while their opponent will head to the finals weary and exhausted.

Even if the San Miguel-Alaska series goes to a Game 5, the winner of said series will still have a longer break compared to its opponent. Game 5, if necessary, will be played Sunday.

If that is the case, the PBA is dead set on giving the Beermen an easier path to a second straight Commissioner’s Cup title and perhaps another opportunity to earn the elusive Grand Slam. In many ways, that would be bad for the league’s reputation.

Then again, though, Game 3 between Alaska and San Miguel is still in doubt. At the moment, the PBA has yet to make a decision regarding the game as they continue to observe the ongoing weather conditions.

If they postpone tonight’s game as well, it will be a win-win situation to all four teams. Maybe it’s for the best if they suspend Game 3 as well.

Ginebra is currently leading their semifinal series against Rain or Shine 1-0. As previously mentioned, San Miguel is one win away from the finals against Alaska.

In the meantime, here is a public service announcement regarding tickets to the Ginebra-Rain or Shine series.

From TICKETNET:

All tickets for today, July 17, will be valid and honored for Thursday.

On the other hand, for ticket holders of Game 3, we will be issuing online refund. Amount will automatically be reverted to the credit card used upon online purchase. pic.twitter.com/iuHRmF024V

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 17, 2018

UPDATE: Game 3 of the San Miguel-Alaska series is now postponed to Friday, July 20.

📌Announcement

Semis game 3 of Alaska Aces vs San Miguel Beermen today has been postponed due to potential severe weather conditions (Orange warning) as announced by NDRRMC.

Game 3 is set on Friday, July 20, 7pm at Ynares, Antipolo.

Mag-ingat po ang lahat. Maraming salamat.

— PBA (@pbaconnect) July 18, 2018

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Unified 5: Introducing The Network Formerly Known as TV5

The new logo of The 5 Network (T5N) which was officially launched on February 17, 2018. (Logo courtesy of TV5 Network Inc.)

‘Get It On 5!’

This was the slogan of the latest station ID of TV5, or better yet, The Network Formerly Known as TV5. The station ID was launched on February 17, 2018 during a live PBA game between the San Miguel Beermen and the Alaska Aces.

Along with the premiere of the station ID came a new primary station logo that emphasizes more on the number five.  The revised ‘5’ logo was first used back in September when the network joined forces with ESPN, and will now be used in its other media properties.

In doing so, the network branding became more cohesive and consistent to all platforms, from television, radio and the internet to divisions such as sports, news, digital content and charity organizations. Not only that, there were also some organizational changes that TV5 went through, such as the merger of some of its existing divisions.

Technically the registered name of the company remains TV5 Network Inc., but for all intents and purposes, this network will now be referred to as The 5 Network (T5N). For some reason, mentioning the network as just TV5 no longer makes sense as it is a multimedia company that goes beyond television, and the logo change makes the name very obsolete.

But then again, there are other multimedia companies that continue to emphasize the ‘TV’ in their network names; an obvious example is UNTV News and Rescue (or simply UNTV). Still, a more unified brand is crucial for The 5 Network at this point given that Chot Reyes is taking the network to a different path altogether.

It remains to be seen if this rebrand will bring plenty of rewards to this embattled network. For now, though, enjoy a first glimpse of T5N or The 5 Network.

Thoughts on the MPBL on ABS-CBN S+A

A new Filipino basketball league is about to take off.

The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League, founded by Senator Manny Pacquiao and his business manager Arnold Vegafria, will officially launch later tonight at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. The league’s maiden event will begin with an elaborate opening ceremony and a game between the Parañaque Patriots and Caloocan Supremos.

The league’s premise is simple: it consists of 10 teams located around Metro Manila and Luzon (with expansion to Visayas and Mindanao to follow soon) and it also aims to give grassroots athletes and aspiring basketball players a chance to showcase their skills and continue their basketball careers. These 10 teams are as follows:

1. Parañaque Patriots
2. Caloocan Supremos
3. Batangas City Athletics
4. Valenzuela Classic
5. Navotas Clutch
6. Muntinlupa Cagers
7. Bataan Defenders
8. Bulacan Kuyas
9. Imus MPBL team
10. Quezon City MPBL team

A home-and-away format will be followed so that teams can have a chance to play on their home court in front of their fans. In essence, the MPBL is a developmental league that is more similar to the NBA G League and is inspired from the defunct Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA).

Let’s face it, the Philippines deserves another basketball league and something had to be done about the surplus of talent. Every basketball player dreams of making it to the PBA but what if there is little to no chance of earning a slot?

Also, what if basketball fans does not have the courage or the resources to watch a basketball game in faraway or big venues? This is exactly what the MPBL does: propagate the game of basketball closer to the fan while giving some undeserved talents a chance to prove their worth.

Not only that, the MPBL will get some much-needed exposure on national television via S+A, the sports channel of ABS-CBN. The said channel’s strong reach should benefit the MPBL a lot as it tries to gain the respect of Filipino basketball diehards.

It will be interesting to see how far this upstart league go. But for those who are worried that the MPBL could pose a threat to the PBA, don’t fret because they are only concerned about giving players opportunities while extending the careers of others.

Games of the MPBL will take place every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday at 7:00 p.m. It will be aired on ABS-CBN’s S+A channel.

Barely Recognizable: PBA News Seldom Mentioned in Other Networks

Hardly mentioned: News surrounding the PBA is a seldom occurrence in ABS-CBN and GMA newscasts. (Photo credit: Philippine Basketball Association)

News surrounding the Philippine Basketball Association is hard to come by these days.

Once one of the Philippines’ national pastimes, the league has fallen on hard times in recent years due to a bevy of controversies. Nowadays, the PBA is barely mentioned at all in  TV networks outside ESPN5, a byproduct of declining interest that has alarmed the league of late.

One network, in particular, has repeatedly shunned the PBA when it comes to sports news. Enter ABS-CBN and its family of networks.

In ABS-CBN’s most recent year-end sports report, there was not even a single mention about the PBA. The network, in particular, failed to account the 50,000 or so crowd that saw Barangay Ginebra San Miguel win Game 7 of the Governors’ Cup finals over the Meralco Bolts, or the two championships won by the San Miguel Beermen last season, or the Christian Standhardinger-Chito Narvasa controversy.

It has been a pattern that is constant for the past several years. Instead of the PBA, ABS-CBN’s TV newscasts focused more on its sports properties such as the UAAP, NCAA, NBA and ABL, as well as national teams such as the Gilas basketball team and the Azkals football team.

In fairness, ANC’s Hardball, DZMM’s Fastbreak and ABS-CBN’s sports and news websites always make up for the newscasts’ oversight by mentioning and even talking about the PBA in greater detail. But even that is not enough to slap some sense in ABS-CBN’s mindset.

Now what about GMA? While they also report about the PBA on their news websites, they also do not mention the league’s news on their newscasts, and worse, they barely care about the world of sports at all since they do not even have a sports division.

Which leaves us to the only two networks that do take a look at the PBA on a regular basis: PTV-4’s ‘PTV Sports’ and CNN Philippines’ ‘Sports Desk’. Much like the PBA, they are hardly recognizable in the viewers’ consciousness, but at least they are doing their best to cover the league’s latest news with consistency and detail.

But for the two network giants in South Triangle, not mentioning the PBA on television is an disgrace to the league. Yes its popularity may have slipped of late due to these internal issues, but the PBA is still an important part of the Filipino sporting landscape and something needs to be done to rekindle the league’s interests.

FTT Year 2017 in Review: The Hot or Not Stories That Define the Year in Media (Part IV)

Another year is about to end. But before the calendar flips to 2018, here is a look back at the year that was in television and radio. This article looks back at some of the Hot or Not moments that define the Philippine media this year.

If you missed out on Part I, Part II and Part III of this series, click on the highlighted link for more information.

Here is Part IV of the four-part series. These stories are arranged in no particular order.

HOT: PBA at Philippine Arena

The final three games of the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals were held at the Philippine Arena. Not surprisingly, the venue was packed to the rafters, thanks in large part to the presence of crowd favorite and defending champion Barangay Ginebra San Miguel.

Ginebra went on to defeat the Meralco Bolts in seven games, with Game 7 becoming the highest-attended PBA game ever with over 54,000 spectators. The victory also gave San Miguel Corporation a perfect 3-for-3 in terms of championships in the 2016-17 PBA season, with the San Miguel Beermen having conquered both the Philippine and Commissioner’s Cup as well.

NOT: ESPN5

TV5 started 2017 by defiantly telling viewers to ‘choose courage’ in their station ID. By the end of the year, however, courage turned to cowardice as Chot Reyes gradually turned TV5 into a sports-oriented network and stripped whatever’s left of the station’s content.

The final straw came in October when TV5 signed a deal with ESPN to rename its sports division into ESPN5. Since then, the collaboration purchased the broadcast rights to the National Football League and U.S. NCAA college basketball to go along with local sports such as the PBA and the Philippine SuperLiga.

HOT: International Football on S+A

Already with the rights to the NBA, UAAP, NCAA, FIFA football, ABL and ONE Championship among other sports, ABS-CBN Sports acquired another big fish late in the year thanks to a collaboration with beIN Sport and Triple CH. The deal brought in the Premier League, La Liga and the UEFA Champions League to S+A.

The acquisition is, in many ways, beneficial to Filipino football fans who are craving to watch some of the world’s top footballers like Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo for free. However, with football having one of the most expensive broadcast rights in the world, it remains to be seen if ABS-CBN Sports’ risk will become a reward.

NOT: PFL on PTV-4

Suffice to say, the inaugural season of the Philippines Football League did not work out on the television side. The league faced plenty of problems with coveror PTV-4, namely weather postponements and the unexpected live broadcasts of President Rodrigo Duterte’s speeches.

By August the PFL suddenly disappeared from television as it became fed up with PTV-4’s presidential priorities. With the first season already complete, perhaps the time is now to find a new broadcast partner for next season.

HOT: NBA on ABS-CBN

2017 was a surprisingly productive year for ABS-CBN’s NBA coverage. Beginning with the 2017 playoffs, S+A aired NBA games every day up until the finals, with a few dates reserved for doubleheaders.

Once the finals began, ABS-CBN Sports employed a simulcast on both Channel 2 and S+A. The former featured commentary from Boom Gonzales and TJ Manotoc live from the U.S. while the latter used the feed featuring ESPN announcers Mike Breen, Mark Jackson, Jeff Van Gundy and Doris Burke.

ABS-CBN also made NBA games available on S+A’s HD platform, which was previously separate and distinct from its SD counterpart. However, ABS-CBN’s surprise increase in NBA game coverage was just a reprieve for SkyCable subscribers, no thanks in part to a brewing controversy.

NOT: Solar Entertainment/SkyCable Controversy

It was deja vu all over again as Solar Entertainment pulled out its cable channels from SkyCable amid furor over NBA broadcast rights. The network claimed that ABS-CBN owed them millions of pesos for the rights to carry Basketball TV and NBA Premium TV.

The conflict remains unresolved as of now due to conflicting statements between the two parties. This left angry NBA fans with no choice but to switch over to other cable and satellite outlets or subscribe to NBA League Pass.

HOT: Sports News Programs on TV

2017 saw two new sports news programs debut on Philippine television. In January, the ABS-CBN News Channel premiered ‘Gametime’ with Migs Bustos at the helm, while in December, ESPN5 brought in ‘SportsCenter Philippines’ with Aaron Atayde, Lia Cruz, Magoo Marjon and Amanda Fernandez as its anchors.

Meanwhile, CNN Philippines’ ‘Sports Desk’ lost one of its pillars as Mico Halili announced his departure from the network amid rumors of a reorganization. Finally, PTV-4 announced that PTV Sports would return as a standalone program after nearly a year’s absence, with Dennis Principe once again at the helm alongside Meg Siozon and Angel Atienza.

NOT: WWE on FOX

Carriage issues also got in the way of WWE programming on FOX Philippines’ family of networks as it announced that they would cease ties with the wresting promotion after a six-year run. This was due to the two parties’ inability to agree on a renewal.

Shortly thereafter, TV5 announced that they would air WWE programs on their networks, but so far, only the condensed edition of SmackDown is currently on their lineup. As for Raw, the commercial-free 90-minute edition was made available on WWE’s YouTube page (for Philippine viewers only) while other programs can be seen via the WWE Network service.

Summary and Outlook

Overall, 2017 was both a challenge and an experience for media in the Philippines. Longstanding issues and pressing concerns were all over the place as each network tried its best to resolve each and every one of them.

Looking ahead to 2018, there are still plenty more challenges to conquer and some new tasks to take. The evolution in media does not stop here and From the Tube will continue to bring in the latest news in the world of broadcasting come next year.

In the meantime, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

PBA to Open Season as Scheduled

The Philippine Arena will play host to the Manila Clasico between Ginebra and Magnolia this December 25. It hosted the last three games of the 2017 PBA Governors’ Cup to record crowds. (Photo credit: The Philippine Star)

Good news for PBA fans.

The Philippine Basketball Association will open its new season this Sunday at the Smart Araneta Coliseum. It will be highlighted by the customary opening ceremonies and the kickoff game between defending Philippine Cup champion San Miguel Beermen and the Phoenix Fuel Masters.

Opening the new season is important for the league even as it endured the controversy surrounding commissioner Chito Narvasa. Globalport governor Mikee Romero made it clear about the PBA’s importance to the masses.

“Hindi pwedeng mawala ang PBA sa Pilipino, or ang Pilipino mawala sa PBA. That’s why we’re all here. I think we’re a very solid group at this point in time. Come December 17, as what we promised — [one] that did not come from me, [but] from all 12 teams.”

“Any internal problems or whatever that we have, we will deal with it internally, within ourselves, within the 12 of us. We don’t want to elaborate or any more matters. As we told you, this Sunday, what we should be watching are the players, the superstars of PH basketball. 43 years, ang masasabi ko lang, let the games begin.”

The PBA was coming off an otherwise successful 42nd season where the San Miguel Beermen ruled the Philippine and Commissioner’s Cup, and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel won the Governors’ Cup. However, a controversial and disputed trade between the Beermen and Kia Picanto involving consensus top pick Christian Standhardinger led to chaos that took a month to resolve.

The opening of the 43rd PBA season will also benefit official broadcaster ESPN5 as well. Right after the PBA season opener, ESPN5 will premiere ‘SportsCenter Philippines’ as its leadout program, giving the latter a much-needed shot in the arm.

On December 25, the PBA will hold its annual Christmas Day games at the Philippine Arena, highlighted by the ‘Manila Clasico’ between Ginebra and Magnolia Hotshots (formerly the Star Hotshots). The rest of the league’s schedule will see the Philippine Cup last until March, followed by the Commissioner’s Cup from March to June, and the Governors’ Cup from June to September.

Let the games begin. Good luck.