LAS VEGAS – With the PBA back to its three-conference format, the league reported a significant increase in net revenue in the recently concluded Season 49.
The board shared that the league earned a net revenue of P193 million during the 2024-25 calendar, which came close of levelling the record-high P200 million which it achieved in Season 47 -- a season which featured Game 7 of the Barangay Ginebra - Bay Area Dragons championship series for the Commissioner’s Cup.
It was a blockbuster as it drew a record crowd of 54,589 at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan.
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Total gross last season amounted to P547 million as per the report made by league financial head Odessa Encarnacion during the PBA annual planning session on Wednesday (Manila time) at the MGM Grand.
The figures obviously were way above the P114 million earned in Season 48 when the league only held two conferences as it gave way to the country’s hosting of the 2023 FIBA World Cup.
Chairman Ricky Vargas, who was elected to an unprecedented ninth term along with Commissioner Willie Marcial, appears not as enthusiastic for the golden season of the league.
“The challenge now is the 50th season. It’s also going to be difficult to duplicate the P193 million net (revenue) or the P547 (total gross),” he said.
“We can probably do better in the gross, but the expenses would be a little bit higher, so the net may be affected.”
Celebrating its golden anniversary, a lot is in the offing for the coming season that is expected to last for more than a year especially with the schedule being affected by Gilas Pilipinas’ preparation for the FIBA World Cup qualifiers and the 20th Asian Games in Nagoya, Japan.
The revenue report was among the first to be discussed on the opening day of the planning session that also saw the board reiterate its trust anew on the partnership of Vargas and Marcial.
Also retaining their respective posts during the election of officers were Vice Chairman Alfrancis Chua, treasurer Atty. Raymond Zorrilla, and corporate secretary and legal counsel Atty. Ogie Narvasa.
The rest of the Board of Governors in attendance were Ronald Dulatre (NLEX), Archen Cayabyab (Converge), Atty. Mamerto Mondragon (Rain or Shine), Robert Non (San Miguel), Atty. Bill Pamintuan (Meralco), Siliman Sy (Blackwater), Erick Arejola (Northport), and Jason Webb (Magnolia), who’s attending his first planning session for the franchise.
Top officials of the PBA’s television coveror were also around in Cignal TV President and CEO Jane Basas, TV President Guido Zaballero, and VP Channels and Content of Cignal TV Sienna Olaso.
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