Back to good, old days

No more one-game schedules in the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) unless it’s a knockout playoff or a Finals contest or some other special attraction. That’s the word from the PBA which is determined to arrest the disturbing trend of dwindling attendance.

Starting Aug. 21, it’s back to the old, tried-and-tested schedule of doubleheaders on Wednesday, Friday, and Sunday. First game on weekdays starts at 5:30 p.m. and the nightcap, at 7:30 p.m. On Sundays, the opener reels off at 3:45 p.m. and the second contest, at 5:45 p.m. Venues will be either the PhilSports Arena or the Big Dome. Occasionally, there will be dates at the Ynares Center and out-of-town courts. The decaying Cuneta Astrodome will likely be struck out as a site option unless it undergoes a dramatic facelift.

So why was the schedule rearranged in the first place?

Apparently, the previous thinking was with the first game rating low on TV, the PBA could do with just a single outing on prime time to preserve its stature. Because of minimum game commitments to PBA franchise holders, the calendar was stretched to four playing days a week, instead of three. The regular playdays were Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sunday. Occasionally, there were Friday slots, too.

The weekend schedule was suffocating. Basketball popped out of fans’ ears. It was too much to ask even the most rabid fans to sacrifice their entire weekend for the PBA. And the extended calendar was a logistical nightmare. Venues had to be rotated, creating a state of confusion. In the maze, the Caruncho Stadium in Pasig got a few calls to host.

From the economic viewpoint, it also didn’t make sense to continue the tedious process of scheduling games four to five days a week. There were no economies that could redound to savings. On the contrary, the PBA and the TV producers had to cough up a lot more than usual just to play out the experiment.

TV insiders said moving the PBA out of the early evening time slot meant averting a collision course with the high-rating telenovelas and cartoon shows. But what wasn’t factored in the analysis was the league’s loyal fan base that could at least preserve a respectable audience share despite the telenovelas and cartoons.

The experiment was far from successful. Without a first game to prop up a nightcap, PBA ratings took a nosedive on weekdays. Attendance suffered, too, as fans clearly didn’t like the idea of paying for just one game when in the past, they could get a ticket to watch four teams, not only two, in action. Think of it. A fan would brave rush hour traffic to catch a PBA weekday game only to be treated to a blowout–that’s the worst case scenario, of course. Not worth the trouble. Now, if there were two games, it would be a different story.

Fans couldn’t get into the habit of watching games on so many days of the week. The three-day schedule was perfect with Saturday free. But four or five days a week, including Saturday and Sunday, choked the fans into looking for another entertainment alternative.

Ah, but the tide is bound to change. I’ve talked to fans about the reversion and they can’t wait to get back into the groove of PBA things. They want to settle into a habit. No confusing shifts of venues. Double headers on weekdays. Games on Fridays and Sundays, not Saturdays.

The backtrack should result in increased attendance and improved TV ratings particularly as the Samsung Commissioner’s Cup is now in the playoff phase where only the strong will survive.