MANILA - The University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) has awarded the broadcast rights of the league for the next five years to long-time partner ABS-CBN.
Both parties have agreed in principle and signed the Memorandum of Agreement right before the tip-off of the Game Two of the men's basketball Finals between Ateneo de Manila University (ADMU) and University of the East (UE) on Sunday.
UAAP President Anton Montinola and ABS-CBN Chairman Gabby Lopez led the signing in the presence of the league board members and other network officials.
"They have been an excellent partner and we hope to take this partnership to the next level," Montinola said.
ABS-CBN has vowed "to continue to be at the forefront of technology improvement."
"We believe in the UAAP product and we'll do everything to make it better," Lopez said.
The giant television network has gradually improved the marketability of the league since their partnership started in 2000.
This season, Lopez-owned network made history by broadcasting the league's basketball games in high-definition through its SkyCable channel.
Starting next season, ABS-CBN announced that the men's basketball Finals will be broadcasted live on Channel 2, the network's main channel.
The elimination games and the Final Four will still be carried by its youth-oriented channel Studio 23.
Women's volleyball, which was moved from the first semester to the second semester in the UAAP calendar this season, will also enjoy the same coverage with that of men's basketball.
Selected highlights of the non-basketball events will also be shown by the network.
The new contract, which is to be worked out by both parties' legal counsels in the next coming days, will last until 2015.
"We didn't see any reason why we have to break our partnership. Upon long deliberation, the board has unanimously decided to award the rights again to ABS-CBN. We have looked at the plusses and minuses and at the end of the day, they (ABS-CBN) were clearly the winner," Montinola said.
The other networks which bid for the UAAP broadcast rights are GMA Network and Solar Sports.
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