Pro league mulls option to telecast own games

MANILA, Philippines - The PBA board of governors convenes in an emergency meeting tomorrow to tackle the possibility of the league itself doing the production and telecast of its games.

Board chairman Rene Pardo said they might enter into a “co-production” deal with either ABS-CBN’s Studio23 or GMA-7’s QTV11.

“I have instructed the Commissioner’s Office to talk to Studio23 and QTV11 regarding that proposition,” Pardo told The STAR.

“It’s always been the league’s option to make its own production. This may be the right time to do it,” Pardo added.

The PBA opted to look at other options as TV5, reduced its offer for the exclusive PBA TV rights to P.8 billion over five years.

TV5 has been left as the lone bidder after ABS-CBN decided not to make a bid in the last minute.

The original TV5 offer was P.917 billion with P800 million cash plus P117 million in advertising spots.

TV5, however, has since slashed the proposed package to P650 million in guaranteed cash plus P150 million for marketing and promotion.

Apparently, this is not acceptable to some PBA board members, forcing them to look at the possibility of doing their own TV coverage.

“We may just be block-timer and make our own production,” said Pardo.

“The technical people are there, and we could tap them. I believe this would be hard just at the start,” Pardo said.

It could well turn out to be a sensitive issue with Meralco and Talk n Text likely to back up TV5’s bid. All three are under the giant group owned by Manny V. Pangilinan.

The PBA is looking for a new TV coveror since its three-year deal with old partner Solar Sports is expiring at the end of the season.

The pro league would earn around P.5 billion by the end of its partnership with Solar Sports.