PBA livestream views, TV ratings in major rise

MANILA, Philippines — PBA commissioner Willie Marcial said yesterday the modern trend of monitoring news through mobile devices has led to a major rise in livestream viewership of league games, citing an increase from 14 million watchers last season to a record 42 million tracked starting the Philippine Cup to the first two weeks of the Commissioner’s Cup.

“The figures are incredible,” said Marcial.  “It’s a sign of the times.  Fans want to engage other fans, check out interactive sites and search for accessible information while watching the games on their phones.  They like the convenience of being able to catch the games wherever they are.”

Marcial said TV ratings are also on the rise.  “No doubt, the PBA remains the No. 1 basketball show on TV in terms of viewership,” he said.  “The figures show we’re way over other basketball leagues, including the UAAP and even the NBA.  Basketball is still the No. 1 sport in the country and the PBA is still the No. 1 basketball league.”

Marcial said the viewership of Game 7 of the recent Philippine Cup Finals between San Miguel Beer and Magnolia hit the roof.  The live gate attendance was 12,871 at the Smart Araneta Coliseum.  The PBA record is 54,086 for Game 7 of the Governors Cup Finals between Barangay Ginebra and Meralco at the Philippine Arena. “The TV ratings were phenomenal and went beyond the average in the last quarter,” he said.  “Livestream viewers were about 264,000.  Interest in the PBA remains high.  The challenge for us is to bring the fans back to watch the games live in the venues.  It’s one of our goals but we realize we’re up against spending priorities of our fans.”

Marcial explained that it’s no small budget for a fan to watch in the general admission section.  “You spend about P400 for transportation, ticket, food and drinks and you double that if you bring a companion,” he said.  “That’s a cost you will factor in your spending priorities.  But we’re trying to make going to the venue an experience that’s worth the cost.  That’s where the challenge comes in.  It’s a different situation in the provinces.  Fans can walk to the venue and eat at home so it’s not as costly.”

Marcial said while the issue of live attendance is being addressed, he is also focusing on improving the quality of officiating.  He said the league is constantly reviewing what can be done to raise the level of fairness in officiating every game.  The PBA, in fact, has come out with relevant rule changes ahead of the NBA.  For instance, the PBA has a replaceable referee system during a game, a deliberate foul rule that eliminates fouling away from the ball (known as Hack-A-Shaq) with a penalty of two free throws and possession (the NBA rule is applied to only the last two minutes of every quarter) and reviewable plays involving goaltending and a 24-second shot clock violation.

Marcial said random drug-testing continues to be administered every game day.  “We choose one player from each team on a random basis for drug-testing,” he said.  “We’re testing for marijuana, shabu and cocaine use.”  Beyond the game, the PBA is actively promoting its corporate social responsibility projects through the Alagang PBA platform, including a blood donation drive in coordination with the Philippine Red Cross and the Smart Araneta Coliseum, outreach programs in the provinces and the “homecourt” campaigns in Metro Manila.  For the youth, the Batang PBA summer games are a yearly event.