| PBA on Solar Sports | |
|---|---|
| Also known as | PBA on C/S9 (2008–09) PBA on Solar TV (2009–11) |
| Genre | PBA game telecasts |
| Presented by | seePBA on Solar Sports commentators |
| Country of origin | Philippines |
| Original languages | English Filipino |
| Production | |
| Camera setup | Multiple-camera setup |
| Running time | varies |
| Production company | Solar Sports |
| Original release | |
| Network | C/S 9/Solar TV (2008–11) Studio 23 (2011) Basketball TV |
| Release | October 8, 2008 (2008-10-08) – August 21, 2011 (2011-08-21) |
| Related | |
PBA on Solar Sports (formerly known asPBA on C/S 9 andPBA on Solar TV) is aPhilippine television sports presentation show broadcast byC/S,Solar TV andStudio 23. It aired from October 4, 2008 to August 21, 2011. The consist of branding used for presentation ofPhilippine Basketball Association produced bySolar Sports. Solar Entertainment had acquired the rights to the PBA after a highly publicized bidding war with major broadcasterABS-CBN, and aired games on several channels, includingBasketball TV, theRPN (which Solar was operating), and later onStudio 23.
TheAssociated Broadcasting Company (ABC) hadbroadcast PBA games since2004 on itsVHFChannel 5, succeeding the failedNBN and IBC consortium which left the league in debt. ABC's current contract would expire at the end of the2007-08 season, so the league began to accept bids for the next contract. ABC, theABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation (through ABS-CBN Sports), and theSolar Entertainment Corporation emerged as frontrunners.
ABS-CBN has served as the official broadcaster ofUAAP basketball games since 2000. As part of its bid for the contract, ABS-CBN organized a charity exhibition game which aired onStudio 23, featuring PBA alumni from theAteneo Blue Eagles and theDe La Salle Green Archers.[1] Solar Entertainment had recently begun a partnership withRPN to provide programming for the network, primarily in response to a carriage dispute with ABS-CBN-ownedcable providerSky Cable; which saw 6 of its networks (including its sports channelsSolar Sports andBasketball TV) pulled from its systems in January 2008.[2][3] However, ABC was reported to be piqued at the way the league was handling the bidding practice, hence it backed out of the bidding process. ABC had paid₱70 million to air the 2007-08 season, its last.[4]
The backing out of ABC narrowed down the field to two possible broadcasters; ABS-CBN (who would broadcast games on its main network andStudio 23), and Solar Entertainment (who would air games onBasketball TV and RPN, which Solar then operated under the on-air brand C/S 9).GMA Network was also reportedly planning to bid but backed out; it however denied that they offered a bid.[3]
Another bidder eventually came into force, the Makisig Network; which would air the games onIntercontinental Broadcasting Corporation'sDZTV-TV. However, it was reported that both ABS-CBN and Solar submitted identical bids to the PBA Board: ₱160 million for the first year, ₱168 million for the second and ₱170 million for the third year (compared to ABC's ₱70 million for its fifth year).[5]
PBA ChairmanTony Chua ofRed Bull Barako pushed the board to come out with a decision as soon as possible; former PBA chairman Ricky Vargas of theTalk 'N Text Phone Pals, a supporter of the ABS-CBN bid, said that money should not be a deciding factor. Also, Chua announced thatNielsen Media Research would research the comparative reach, demographics and audience share of both bids and present their findings to the PBA board.[6] After receiving Nielsen's data, another provider, Mind Shares, was consulted. By this time, the bids were now slightly different: Solar's bid was ₱31 million greater than the amount ABS-CBN offered for the first three years of the contract, while ABS-CBN offered a four-year package with the option to sign a three-year contract-extension at the end of the initial deal, with Solar a straight-up three-year deal.[7]
ABS-CBN backed out its bid after receiving a solitary vote in the 9-member board. However, Solar Sports did not automatically clinch the bid outright since the league was "insisting on a lockout to protect business interests of its team members".[8] It was revealed that, according to Mind Share, if the PBA aired on RPN, it would rate 7.9%, while if it aired on Studio 23, it would rate 1.8%, "without taking into consideration the tremendous cross-promotions boost that would immediately impact on ratings under an ABS-CBN partnership."[9] This caused Solar Sports to be thede facto front-runner.
On May 27, 2008, the PBA announced that Solar Sports had won the rights with a deal reportedly worth ₱508 million. Aside from live games aired on RPN, Solar would provide additional coverage on itsBasketball TV cable channel.[10] The return of the PBA to RPN dates back to theinaugural season of the PBA in 1975 whengames were broadcast on KBS.[10][11]
During an October 15, 2010, double-header during thePhilippine Cups' elimination round, Solar's satellite equipment experienced multiple faults, including alleged problems with the encoder and power amplifier. These technical problems caused intermittent interruptions to the telecasts, and forced a game between the Meralco Bolts and the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters to be aired on Basketball TV the next day ontape delay. The technical problems resulted in commissionerChito Salud issuing a ₱3,000,000 fine to Solar for not broadcasting a game live, a condition of the network's contract with the league. In a meeting with the PBA's board, Solar also promised that it would take steps to improve the quality of its telecasts and prevent such issues from occurring in the future.[12][13]
In December 2010, Solar Entertainment announced that they would be seeking a new broadcast television partner for its PBA coverage due to a planned relaunch of the Solar TV network, with a new lineup aimed more towards women (resulting in the dropping of all other sports programming from its lineup).[14] Solar executives held meetings with representatives fromABS-CBN, theGMA Network, and theAssociated Broadcasting Company in order to gauge interest in picking up the package, while commissionerChito Salud made a statement on December 2 that the PBA board's only concern would be Solar's commitment to the rest of their contract with the league.[15] On December 12, Salud announced that the PBA's Board of Governors officially approved Solar's request to find a new broadcasting partner.[16]
On February 8, 2011, the board approved a proposal made by Solar Sports to produce PBA telecasts to air onABS-CBN'sStudio 23 network for the remainder of their contract with the league, beginning with the2011 Commissioner's Cup.Peter Musñgi, vice president of ABS-CBN's sports department, applauded the decision, considering it a "vote of confidence" for Studio 23 andABS-CBN's sports division as a whole.[17][18][19]
Solar declined to renew its contract beyond the 2011-12 season.Sports5 andAKTV became the new official broadcasters of the PBA following the2011 Governors' Cup.[20]
Solar aired onStudio 23 it is the last PBA games during the Game 7 of the2011 Governors' Cup finals between thePetron Blaze Boosters and theTalk 'N Text Tropang Texters. Sev Sarmenta, Andy Jao andQuinito Henson were the commentators for its last run.
Solar Entertainment announced their announcing team for the 2008-09 season at a meeting inMakati. Longtime PBA panelists Ed Picson andQuinito Henson covered their first game for the 2008-09 season between Talk 'N Text and Coca-Cola. Sev Sarmenta joined the PBA panel in February 2009 after a 6-year hiatus.[21]
Anchors[edit]
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| Preceded by | PBA TV coverage partners 2008–2011 | Succeeded by |