PBA on Sports5

PBA on Sports5 (formerly known as the PBA on AKTV) is the presentation of Philippine Basketball Association basketball games which started in the 2011-12 season. Telecasts are produced by Sports5, the sports division of ABC Development Corporation, and aired through TV5 and simulcasted on AksyonTV. There is the one game on Saturday and two games on Sundays aired on primetime on IBC and IBC News Network. Also, there is a separate coverage in English commentary every Sundays on Fox Sports Philippines which was started on November 20, 2013.

TV5, which was formerly known as the Associated Broadcasting Company (ABC), previously handled the coverage of the games from 2004 to 2008.

History


From October 2011 to May 2013, the coverage was known as PBA on AKTV. The games were broadcast on Sports5's AKTV program block on IBC. This was the third time that the PBA aired on IBC. The first was from 1996 to 2002 when Vintage Sports and later Viva Sports handled the television coverage, and the second in 2003, when IBC became one of the two networks (the other being NBN) that covered the PBA.

After TV5 decided not to renew their blocktime agreement with IBC upon its expiration by May 2013, the broadcast coverage of the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals was still aired on IBC and TV5 with simulcasts with AksyonTV, the news TV network of TV5.

Sports5 proposed to move the coverage of the PBA games to their sister channel AksyonTV starting with the 2013 PBA Governors' Cup. The league however rejected this move since the contract between them and Sports5 states the league should be aired on a VHF channel. Sports5 then offered to air the second game of a doubleheader playdate on their main TV network TV5, one hour after the first game finishes, with the first game to be aired on a delayed basis after the second game (similar on what Vintage Sports did to the coverage of the PBA Games from 1982 to 1986). However, both games will be aired live on AksyonTV. This proposal was denied by the PBA Board of Governors since this violates the terms of their contract with Sports5.

The broadcast of the games returned to IBC starting with the 2013 PBA Governors' Cup as a compromise after the PBA disagreed to Sports5's request to permanently transfer the coverage to TV5 and/or Aksyon TV. The finals series for Governors' Cup were both aired live on TV5 and IBC.

On November 2013, Sports5 and Fox Sports Asia have entered in an agreement to air the Wednesday PBA games for the 2013-14 season live on the cable channel. It will have its own English speaking broadcast panel to properly cater the cable channel's audience.

For the 2013-14 Philippine Cup eliminations, the games were aired on the following schedule:

The schedule for the 2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup has been slightly altered starting March 17, 2014, having both the Saturday doubleheader games now being aired live on TV5. To maximize the weekday airtime schedule of TV5, there will be one scheduled game during Mondays and Wednesdays: The simulcast at AksyonTV however is now discontinued. The weekday live airing of the games was returned on starting March 26 after several PBA fans reacted negatively about the delayed airing of the first game. The following schedule was also applied for the 2014 PBA Governors' Cup. Beginning with the 2014–15 Philippine Cup, all games will be broadcast live on TV5 with simulcasts on AksyonTV and game days (all double headers) will be on Tuesdays, Wednesdays, Fridays and Sundays. Provincial games will be held during Saturdays which is the only single header game day. The coverage is also live-streamed via sports5.ph, where pre-game and post-game analysis are also featured.

The radio coverage was also transferred to TV5's FM radio network Radyo5 from the previous DZSR AM network.

Beginning with the 2015–16 Philippine Cup, all games will be broadcast live on TV5 and AksyonTV and also game days (all double headers) will be Wednesdays, Fridays and Sunday. Provincial games will be held during Saturdays which is the one game day. The coverage is also use the pre-game and post-game analysis will also featured during game day live on TV5.

High-definition broadcast
Sports5 had its first high definition broadcast of the league's games during the finals series of the 2014 PBA Commissioner's Cup. It was aired exclusively to Cignal Digital TV subscribers through a pay per view assigned channel for free. For the 2014 PBA Governors' Cup, the elimination round were aired in HD for free to Cignal subscribers but became a pay-per-view during the playoffs. The HD broadcast returned again in 2015, in time for the 2014–15 PBA Philippine Cup Finals for free to Cignal subscribers. The broadcast became pay-per-view exclusive for the 2015 Commissioner's and Governors' Cups.

On-demand
Sports5 uploads all of the games beginning the 2014–15 PBA Philippine Cup to their sports5.ph website.

Sports5 Center
Sports5 introduced a pre-game show named AKTV Center. During the 2011-12 Philippine Cup eliminations, it was hosted by Patricia Bermudez-Hizon, with Mico Halili and Magoo Marjon as alternates. The format was changed starting the Quarterfinal round, usually having a three-man panel consisting of either Halili, Marjon, Bermudez-Hizon, Aaron Atayde and Dominic Uy. Special guests were added at the panel from time to time. Several characters were introduced for the segment, which also includes parodies of NBA players, namely "Kobesaya" (a look-alike of Kobe Bryant), "Jeremy Lin-ta" (Jeremy Lin) and "J.R. "Pepe" Smith" (J.R. Smith). AKTV Center airs from the IBC studios in Broadcast City but sometimes air from the playing venue during special occasions, notably the league's opening ceremonies and the jersey retirement of Robert Jaworski.

During the 2012 Commissioner's Cup, AKTV introduced Home Court with Lia Cruz as its host. The segment airs during the halftime break of the second game. However it only lasted for four episodes before returning to AKTV Center's original format.

AKTV Center was dropped when the games' broadcast was aired on IBC and TV5 during the 2013 PBA Commissioner's Cup Finals. During TV5's airing of the 2013 FIBA Asia Championship, a similarly formatted pre-game show was included in the broadcast, which was named Sports5 Center. This incarnation was carried over for the PBA's 2013-14 season, however it was only aired during Sundays. Sports5 Ceneter was replaced by Sports 360 on November 2014.

Sports 360
Sports 360 is a sports-oriented show that also serves as a pre-game program for the PBA games beginning the 2014-15 season. It is shown via livestreaming at Sports5.ph, before the start of the PBA's first game during weekdays and on TV5 before the start of the second game during weekends. The show focuses on the latest news in the league as well as other sports. It spun off as a separate show starting February 1, 2015.

Music
For the duration of the 2011-12 Philippine Cup Eliminations, "Showdown" by The Black Eyed Peas was used as AKTV's main theme music for the PBA games in addition to the generic sports theme used during halftime and interview segments. A different sports theme music was used starting from the semifinal round of the Philippine Cup. This was still used up to the finals of the 2012 Governors Cup.

For the 2012–13 PBA season, a theme music entitled "Kampihan na!" was used on their on-air presentation. During the Philippine Cup, AKTV used a version of this theme without vocals. The vocals were later added during the elimination round of the Commissioner's Cup and was used until the Governors' Cup. A different theme was introduced during the quarterfinal and semifinal rounds of the Commissioner's Cup entitled "Tuloy ang Laban", which was also used sporadically during the Governors' Cup.

A remixed version of the "Kampihan na!" theme was used for the 2013–14 season. The remixed theme was used during the Philippine Cup, however a different background music was used for the Commissioner's and Governors' Cups.

During the 2014–15 season, "Ito ang Liga" which was composed by Jungee Marcelo and Thyro Alfaro and interpreted by Ebe Dancel, Sam Concepcion and rapper Gloc-9 is used as the main theme of the league's 40th season. It is used as bed (background music) and on the opening billboard during the coverage.

Broadcast history

 * AKTV on IBC (October 2, 2011 - May 19, 2013)
 * Sports5 on TV5 (May 15–19, October 11, 2013 – present)
 * Sports5 on IBC (August 14, 2013 - present)

Current

 * Mara Aquino (MoneyBall host, sideline reporter: 2014–present)
 * Charlie Cuna (play-by-play: 2012–present)
 * Apple David (sideline reporter: 2014–present)
 * Rizza Diaz (sideline reporter, studio host: 2013–present)
 * Sel Guevara (sideline reporter, MoneyBall host: 2011-2013, 2014–present)
 * Ryan Gregorio (game analyst, studio analyst, 2011–13, 2014 – present)*
 * Quinito Henson (game analyst: 2011–present)
 * Andy Jao (game analyst: 2014–present)
 * Carla Lizardo (MoneyBall host: 2014–present)
 * Rado Dimalibot (game analyst: 2012-2014, 2015–present)
 * Magoo Marjon (play-by-play: 2011–present)
 * Erika Padilla (sideline reporter: 2011–present)
 * Ali Peek (game analyst, studio analyst: 2014–present)
 * Eric Reyes (game analyst: 2012–present)
 * Jutt Sulit (sideline reporter, MoneyBall host: 2014–present)
 * Dominic Uy (game analyst: 2011–present)
 * James Velasquez (play-by-play: 2012–present)
 * Aaron Atayde (studio analyst: 2011–present)
 * Anthony Suntay (play-by-play: 2015–present)
 * Randy Sacdalan (play-by-play: 2015-present)

Previous

 * Ramon Bautista (segment host, 2013–14)
 * Patricia Bermudez-Hizon (studio host, 2011–12)
 * Lia Cruz (Home Court segment, 2012)
 * Richard Del Rosario (studio host, 2011–13)*
 * Ronnie Magsanoc (game analyst, studio analyst: 2011–2015)*
 * Rado Dimalibot (play-by-play: 2012-2014)
 * Kenneth Duremdes (game analyst, 2012–13)
 * Jolly Escobar (play-by-play, game analyst: 2012-2014)
 * Mico Halili (play-by-play: 2011–15)
 * Jojo Lastimosa (game analyst, studio analyst: 2011–12, 2014)
 * Frankie Lim (game analyst, studio analyst, 2011–13)
 * Miakka Lim (sideline reporter, 2012)
 * Jessica Mendoza (sideline reporter, 2011–13)
 * L.A. Mumar (sideline reporter, 2011–12)
 * Barry Pascua (game analyst, 2011)
 * Benjie Paras (game analyst, studio analyst, 2012-2014)
 * Chiqui Reyes (play-by-play: 2011–12, 2014)
 * Judy Saril (MoneyBall host: 2014)
 * Sev Sarmenta (play-by-play, 2011)
 * Angelika Schmeing-Cruz (sideline reporter, 2011)
 * Luigi Trillo (game analyst: 2014)
 * Jason Webb (game analyst: 2011-2014)
 * Sam YG (segment host, 2013–14)
 * Nikko Ramos (play-by-play, sideline reporter, studio host, MoneyBall host: 2012–2014)
 * Ai Dela Cruz (sideline reporter: 2014–2015)

Fox Sports panel

 * Jude Turcuato (play-by-play, 2013–present)
 * Patricia Bermudez-Hizon (play-by-play, 2013–present)
 * Vince Hizon (game analyst, 2013–present)
 * Charles Tiu (game analyst, 2013–present)
 * Ronnie Magsanoc (game analyst: 2014–present)
 * Shawn Weinstein (play-by-play, 2014–present)
 * Kirk Long (game analyst, 2014–present)
 * Nicholas Nathanielsz (play-by-play, 2015–present)

Previous

 * Aaron Atayde (play-by-play: 2013-2014)
 * Mico Halili (lead play-by-play: 2013-2015)
 * Jason Webb (game analyst, 2013-2014)
 * Alex Compton (game analyst, 2013-2014)
 * Chiqui Reyes (play-by-play, 2013-2014)
 * James Velasquez (play-by-play, 2013-2014)
 * Nikko Ramos (play-by-play, 2014-2015)
 * Andrei Felix (play-by-play, 2015)

Radio coverage panel

 * Mara Aquino (studio host)
 * Apple David (studio host)
 * Rizza Diaz (studio host)
 * Jolly Escobar (play-by-play, game analyst)
 * Carla Lizardo (studio host)
 * L.A. Mumar (play-by-play)
 * Carlo Pamintuan (game analyst)
 * Barry Pascua (game analyst)
 * Chiqui Reyes (lead play-by-play, game analyst)
 * Benjie Santiago (lead play-by-play)
 * Jutt Sulit (studio host)
 * Renren Ritualo (game analyst)
 * Mich Del Carmen (studio host)
 * Denise Tan (studio host)

USTv Student Choice Awards

 * 10th USTv Student's Choice Awards (Students’ Choice of Sports Program) - Won

KBP Golden Dove Awards

 * 2013 KBP Golden Dove Awards (Best Sports Program) - Won
 * 2012 KBP Golden Dove Awards (Best Sports Program) - Won

Golden Screen TV Awards

 * 10th Golden Screen TV Awards (Outstanding Sports Program) - Won

Anak TV Seal Awards

 * 2013 Anak TV Seal Awardee (Most Well-Liked TV Program) - Won
 * 2012 Anak TV Seal Awardee (Most Favorite TV Programs) - Won