Representatives for PBA Finals bound San Miguel and Magnolia during a press conference a day before Game 1. –PBA PHOTO
Live PBA games will now be aired on a regular basis through the new free-to-air network that replaced the disbanded CNN Philippines as content provider for channel 9.
Cignal head channel management and programing Rissa Guillas said RPTV is going to begin showing the games on Friday when the league opens the best-of-seven series for the Commissioner’s Cup title between San Miguel Beer and Magnolia.
The arrangement also puts weekday Finals games with a start time of 7:30 p.m., 30 minutes earlier than what the league had with its second game or one-game schedule on A2Z.
SCHEDULE: San Miguel vs Magnolia PBA Commissioner’s Cup Finals
A2Z, another free television on channel 11, is still going to show the PBA Finals on a delayed basis, Guillas said at the conclusion of the Finals press conference held at Eastwood Richmonde Hotel.
RPTV went on air Thursday with select TV5 programs after Nine Media Corporation decided to end CNN Philippines’ nine-year run due to huge financial losses.
TV5’s parent company MediaQuest Holdings initially had an agreement with Nine Media to air PBA games and Eat Bulaga! on weekends that started earlier last month.
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No official word if the shift will reflect on the PBA’s television schedule for the season-ending Philippine Cup and likely beyond, but the impression is that the RPTV slot will allow the league to schedule the latter part of its doubleheaders at an earlier time.
During the eliminations until the semifinals, Wednesday and Friday doubleheaders were held at 4 p.m. and 8 p.m., with an in-between gap of 90 minutes due to A2Z’s airing of TV Patrol.
Some fans have also complained on social media of signal issues with A2Z, a network formed in 2020 with ABS-CBN providing programs to channel 11’s franchise holder Zoe Broadcasting Network.