Strong ratings for TV5 with Game 1 of Commissioner's Cup Finals

Game 1 of the Cebuana Lhullier PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals was a much-anticipated affair, with the Alaska Aces and Barangay Ginebra San Miguel looking to be named as champions after dispatching last year's finals participants during the PBA Semifinals.

The game ended in a 87-70 victory for Alaska, as they opened the game in front of 19,678 fans in the SMART-Araneta Coliseum with a 28-6 salvo. Eventual Best Import winner Robert Dozier scored 14 points and grabbed 22 rebounds, while reserve RJ Jazul led the team in scoring with 16. Dozier's counterpart in Ginebra, Vernon Macklin, led the team with 16.

Fans not at the Big Dome also managed to watch the game, as the "Live on 5" resulted into high ratings. Nielsen Media Research NUTAM data shows that Game 1 averaged almost 2.5 million viewers or an average audience shares of 18.4%. The apex of the coverage netted TV5 3 million viewers that generated a 26% viewership. The match was also simulcast on Aksyon TV as well streamed on Radyo5 92.3 News FM using the Radyo PBA feed of DZSR 918AM.

TV5 to show Commissioner's Cup Finals

TV5 will be showing the Cebuana Lhullier PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals, which will start on Wednesday at the SMART-Araneta Coliseum.

The switch from AkTV to TV5 met the PBA Board's approval on Thursday, with Commissioner Chito Salud noting TV5's signal strength and coverage goes hand-in-hand with the league's thrust to reach its fans nationwide.

According to Sports5 head Chot Reyes, “This excitement level for this year’s Commissioner’s Cup is truly unprecedented, with more fans either tuning in or watching the games at the venue. The PBA is now a television must-see. And with the games on TV5, more viewers will be able to satisfy their thirst for gripping basketball action.”

The PBA Finals will also be simulcast on AksyonTV (Free TV: Channel 41 in Mega Manila, Ch. 29 in Cebu / Davao; Cable: Channel 1 on Cignal, Ch. 85 on Sky, Ch. 78 on Destiny). Encore telecasts will be made available on HYPER.

Game 1 will be on May 15, Wednesday; with Game 2 on Friday. Both games will be on at 7:30pm, LIVE.

2012 Commissioner's Cup Finals reaping positive dividends

Who says the PBA is dead? It sure looks alive and kicking in Season 37.

 

Filipinos love basketball, especially if their team is in the finals. That has never been more apparent right now than what is going on in the 2012 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals between the Talk 'N Text Tropang Texters against the B-Meg Llamados. Attendance is robust, as seen in the figures from the last five games.

 

Game 1 (April 23 - Monday) - 13,008
Game 2 (April 25 - Wednesday) - 11,862
Game 3 (April 27 - Friday) - 14,493
Game 4 (April 29 - Sunday) - 18,696
Game 5 (May 2 - Wednesday) - 15,183

 

The SMART-Araneta Coliseum has been the venue for the PBA Finals, averaging more than 14,000 per game in this back-and-forth series, as citizens of #TNTNation, #BMegPlanet or casual PBA fans have come in droves to support their team or enjoy top-flight Philippine basketball. In fact, the last three games are at the level of, if not beating the opening day attendance figures for the PBA. 

PBA Commissioner Chito Salud is very thrilled with these results.

 

“I am happy for our fans that they are enjoying the games yet again. They deserve it. I am happy for our players that they are embracing the simple formula of playing hard all the time, improving their craft and being a role model on and off the court. The fans are responding and our players have to be commended,” he said.

 

The Finals has also posted impressive viewership ratings. According to the Nielsen Media Research NUTAM Individuals data, viewership of Game 5 last May 2 registered as high as 2.2 million viewers or a score of 5.2% AMR (14.2% audience share) where the BMEG Llamados took control of the game and commanded a 3-2 lead in the series.

 

Basketball fans can watch the Game 6 action on television via AKTV on IBC 13, the primetime sports channel on Philippine TV. Encore replay of the game can be seen on HYPER (seen on Channel 43 at Cignal Digital TV).

5-Hour Energy and the PBA's Powerade Tigers

H/T to Brosi Gonzales for this celebratory photo of the Tigers

I finally got the opportunity to watch the PBA Finals live for the first time last night. It was Game Three of the Best of Seven PBA All-Filipino Finals involving the defending champions a.k.a Heavyweights Talk N' Text Tropang Texters and the 8th-seed a.k.a. Underdogs Powerade Tigers. TNT had a 2-0 lead over Powerade and no PBA or even a NBA team has escaped from a 3-0 deficit.




It was not surprising that the games have been hi-scoring. Powerade's identity has been to be aggressive and pick up the pace, sort of what Golden State does.They love pushing the tempo and shooting the lights out. TNT on the other hand, can play that way or play slow (just ask Petron). The Tropang Texters' depth allows them to play any way that Coach Chot Reyes wants them to.

Game 3 showed what Powerade really is. Powerade is like someone who is on 5-Hour Energy. The team is always on the go, seems to be always high on adrenalin and plays all out. And then, once it wears off, they sort of wilt and fade away, running out of gas.

That spurt at the end of the 3rd (because I missed the 1st quarter and the early 2nd) showed what Powerade can do. They run up the court, they slash and they love to shoot. The run was initially anchored by Marcio Lassiter, who finished with 25 pts. It seemed as though the Tigers will finally nail that first win in the series, as Sean Anthony and Gary David were on a roll with their offense.

Their strength lies with their core players and rely on them they did. Their starters (Lassiter, JVee Casio, David, Anthony and Doug Kramer) all accrued at least 40 minutes of court time in a 53 minute game. Romel Adducul was the only other guy who played more than 6 or 7 minutes, playing 24, either subbing or playing alongside Kramer down low. And that took a toll on the team, with Anthony eventually fouling out and the team starting to miss shots, save for that miracle of JVee to force OT. Once the extra period came, the depth of the champions took hold and eventually got them the win. TNT had 7 players in double figures, led by Larry Fonacier's 25.

One might say that it was Powerade's best shot at winning (see the stats) and yet they fell short. One might say that they are done, but these Tigers have bucked the odds since the start of the season, why not do it one more time, right? As what Jaemark Tordecikka remarked on Twitter, they are harder to kill than some zombie in the Walking Dead.