ABS-CBN's Balls airs all World Cup games

MANILA, Philippines - Filipino football fans will get a chance to see David Beckham and other international stars in action as Balls, ABS-CBN’s sports cable channel, will air live all the 64 2010 FIFA World Cup games in South Africa.

Top Balls executive Jojo Estacio said the telecast of the World Cup, a quadrennial meet considered as the best sporting event in the planet, is a groundbreaking soccer festival considering that they would air not selected marquee games but all 64 matches, including the playoffs leading to the much-awaited finale.

The airing starts on June 11 with South Africa, which is hosting the biggest soccer spectacle in the world for the first time, taking on Mexico at 10 p.m. followed by a three-game offering the next day pitting former World Cup champions France and Uruguay at 2:30 a.m., South Korea and Greece at 7:30 p.m. and Argentina and Nigeria at 10 p.m. at Balls’ SkyCable Channel 34.

“It’s the first time that all FIFA World Cup games will be shown live on local soil and Balls is very happy to be a big part of it,” said Estacio in yesterday’s press launch at the Belucci’s Pizza located in Balete Drive, Quezon City.

And as a run-up to the actual World Cup Games, Balls has created a World Cup primer show dubbed “The Road to Johannesburg” to be hosted by Marco Benitez and Mia Cabalfin with RP women’s football team captain Marielle Benitez as segment presenter.

The weekly 30-minute show will give Filipino soccer fans World Cup updates and give them the opportunity to post messages, photos and even share their forecasts on upcoming matches.

This year’s staging of the FIFA World Cup promises to be a historic one, as this is the first time an African country will host the most widely watched sports event in the world.

And as teams continue their preparations, the Road to Johannesburg, which premieres on Balls on Monday at 10 p.m. and will be replayed on ABS-CBN’s free channel Studio 23 the next day at 5:30 p.m, will show Filipinos everything that makes the FIFA World Cup the most anticipated event in football.

Aside from soccer, Balls also televises other sporting events including the Ultimate Fighting Championship, the most popular mixed martial arts tournament in the world. – Joey Villar