PARIS – Three years since COVID-19 was declared a pandemic, the PBA is back on its feet, posting a record income in the just concluded 47th season.
Board chairman Ricky Vargas and commissioner Willie Marcial announced the league earned more or less P200 million in a season that saw three different teams emerge as champions.
See PBA Board gives Willie Marcial new three-year deal as commissioner
Vargas said the earnings came from gate attendance, television, social media, and other platforms.
The season was highlighted by Game Seven between Barangay Ginebra and foreign guest team Bay Area Dragons drawing a record-breaking crowd of 54,589 at the Philippine Arena in Bulacan.
The title series reached an average of 4.2 million fans, according to Vargas.
“That represents something like 10.2 or 10.6 percent share on television audience,” said the chairman.
The Governors’ Cup finals featuring Ginebra and eventual champion TNT also got an audience share of 10 percent, one of the highest figures recorded by the league after the pandemic.
The increase in figures came three seasons since the COVID-19 pandemic nearly shut down the entire 2020 calendar and saw the league hold two consecutive conferences inside a bubble setup without fans watching on the stands.
“It’s a clear indication the PBA is really back. It’s really back, and it’s back strong,” stressed TV5 president and CEO Guido Zaballero, who was with Cignal VP for content Sienna Olaso during the three-day planning session.
Other Board of governors in the meeting were vice chairman Bobby Rosales (Terrafirma), treasurer Atty. Raymond Zorilla (Phoenix), Atty. Mamerto Mondragon (Rain or Shine), Eric Arejola (NorthPort), Alfrancis Chua (Ginebra), Robert Non (San Miguel), Rod Franco (NLEX), Atty. Bill Pamintuan (Meralco), and Siliman Sy (Blackwater), together with league legal counsel Atty. Melvin Mendoza.
Other significant increase came on the league’s social media platform, including 5 million who watched PBA hours in 2022 via Youtube.
The PBA also had 800,000 subscribers on Cignal play, which is the second most viewed channel in the app, and PBA posts on One Sports’ social media reached 400,000 each.
Unfortunately, Vargas admitted the league may not be able to sustain the same figures for the coming season since there would only be two conferences to be played as the league gives way to the Philippine men’s basketball team’s campaign in the Fiba World Cup and 19th Asian Games.
Estimated loss could be something between 29 to 30 percent.
“So i-sacrifice ng PBA yun. Next season hindi natin maa-achieve yun,” said Vargas. “At least one third ang mawawala sa atin.”
The new season is set for an Oct. 15 opening beginning with the Commissioner’s Cup.
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