UAAP not rushing to work out TV deal

The UAAP is not in a rush to plan its broadcast strategy even with the impending expiration of its deal with television giant ABS-CBN.

Instead, UAAP executive director Rebo Saguisag said the board of managing directors (BMD) will be brainstorming on how the league copes with the “new normal” once the enhanced community quarantine is lifted in Metro Manila.

The UAAP’s five-year deal with ABS-CBN is set to expire at the end of the month.

The UAAP has partnered with ABS-CBN since 2000 when the network was still airing games on its UHF channel Studio 23 and later when the channel was rebranded to S and A.

Talks on a contract renewal have stalled due to the COVID-19 pandemic as well as the expiration of the franchise of the network early this month.

“The virus has dramatically changed the landscape and we are carefully preparing the shift to the new normal,” Saguisag told the Inquirer.

The UAAP official however remained mum on how the league will go about its contract with the network, which has been largely credited for the rise of its popularity over the years.

Among the matters expected to be discussed in the next BMD meeting after May 15 will be the fate of the shortened Season 82 and the fate of Season 83. The UAAP season usually starts in September, but that still depends on the pandemic.