THE landmark UAAP women’s volleyball doubleheader at the Mall of Asia Arena last week not only set attendance records but also set a high in terms of television ratings.
According to a source, the February 9 playdate highlighted by the face-off between rivals La Salle and Ateneo drew a 2.7 rating on Studio 23, the second-best rated UAAP program on the network since ABS-CBN Sports took over as the league’s broadcaster.
The volleyball double-header, which also featured the match between Final Four contenders University of Santo Tomas and National University, drew a bigger TV audience than all UAAP basketball games since 2000 and is second only in the ratings game to the 2010 cheerdance competition.
The high television ratings marked another milestone to the historic playdate which already drew perhaps the biggest attendance in Philippine volleyball history.
The doubleheader was witnessed by 19,638 paying spectators at the Mall of Asia Arena. Prior to that, the biggest crowd in a volleyball match in the Philippines was during the World Volleyball Grand Prix in the late 1990s at the smaller Philsports Arena.
The move to a much-bigger venue was prompted by the first-round encounter between Ateneo and La Salle at The Arena in San Juan which drew so many fans that several spectators had to be turned away.
The Lady Archers won the match-up over the Lady Eagles in straight sets, while the Tigresses needed four sets to dispatch the Lady Bulldogs.
The Final Four matches are also scheduled to be played at the MOA Arena.
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