ABS-CBN makes sports more engaging, inspiring for Filipinos

Inspired by the Filipino athletes that it covers on and off the court, ABS-CBN Sports continues to improve its game, introducing innovations in sports broadcasting while playing a key role in promoting sports development in the country.

Fueled by the same values that make an Alyssa Valdez, a Donnie Nietes and a Hidilyn Diaz great — excellence, hard work, love for the country — the sports arm of the media and entertainment company is not yet done winning in its bid to engage and inspire Filipinos — sports fans or not — to become real-life heroes.

In a recent trade event held at the Manila Polo Club, ABS-CBN Sports highlighted its newest innovation, the multi-cam live streaming, a new broadcast model that allows users to choose which angle to watch a game online via live streaming on the ABS-CBN Sports portal, sports.abs-cbn.com. The new offering debuted in the Premier Volleyball League last April 30, and garnered over 100,000 views just on its opening day.

“Sports is like news. You need to be up to date. It is the same thing with our coverage. We had to upgrade… or else mapag-iiwanan tayo,” said long-time ABS-CBN Sports director Al Neri, who alternates with another sports broadcasting legend Abet Ramos in directing sporting events aired on ABS-CBN sports channel S+A.

Noticing how people get updates and watch games through the Internet and on their handheld gadgets more than ever, they had to improve the viewing experience online altogether. In multi-cam live streaming, viewers can choose from three angles: Net View, Wide View and End Zone View. They can also see what other fans are tweeting, or simply watch and enjoy the play-by-play analysis by a young pool of commentators composed of former collegiate athletes and courtside reporters.

Neri said the feature empowers audiences, as it gives them the power to choose, to be heard and to come together as a community, even if they are watching the games in different venues and at different times. “We wanted our coverage to be interactive. Hindi lang puro kami. Importante kayo. We’re handing the power to you,” he said.

Initial figures show Filipino sports fans have embraced the new viewing experience from ABS-CBN Sports, which has made headway in terms of digital reach and presence. Not only is sports.abs-cbn.com the No. 1 local sports website in the country, ABS-CBN Sports social media accounts also have huge following: One million followers on Twitter, half a million followers on Facebook and almost 200,000 subscribers on YouTube.

The Score host and veteran sports analyst TJ Manotoc has seen up close the challenges in firming up ABS-CBN’s multi-platform approach and believes the best is yet to come for Filipino sports fans.

“ABS-CBN Sports, and the company as a whole, invested so much time, effort and creativity in using all these tools hand-in-hand to grow the product, to grow the brands and to grow the athletes. We are blessed with unique athletes and we are blessed to be broadcasting it to our audience in every possible way they want to consume it,” he added.

Innovation is nothing new to ABS-CBN Sports, which was also the first in the country to broadcast a live sports event on HD back in 2009. Currently, it also has an HD sports channel (S+A HD) that carries some of the games aired on the free-to-air S+A, plus exclusive sports content.

“We put a premium in our broadcast quality, hence our goal to deliver a better viewing experience for our viewers. It’s the main reason why we switched to high definition broadcasts,” Neri said.

The commitment to improve the quality and accessibility of the sports coverage stems from the network’s faith in the power of sports to connect with audiences and inspire people through the heroic performances and stories of the athletes.

“In every event that we cover, we notice people coming together for sports, not just for entertainment,” said ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena. Indeed, UAAP basketball and volleyball championships continue to set new records in gate attendances. While non-mainstream sports like mixed martial arts (MMA) and beach volleyball are drawing crowds to venues as well.

Filipino MMA hero Eduard Folayang, the ONE Championship Lightweight King, is grateful to be part of the boom of Philippine MMA, thanks to the broadcast coverage of media led by S+A.

“We are so happy to be giving inspiration to the amateur MMA fighters and fans, masaya kami kasi maraming lumalabas na fighters who are hungry to prove themselves and to tell their story to the world,” shared the champion known as the “Landslide.”

Just like Folayang, former Ateneo Queen Eagle and current Creamline Cool Smashers captain Alyssa Valdez also saw her life change as she became the face of volleyball in the country, a sport that ABS-CBN also helped bring to the mainstream.

Her friend Grethcel Soltones, former San Sebastian Lady Stag and current BaliPure Water Defenders stalwart, recounted her volleyball journey in the trade event. “I started from nothing, tricked into training very hard in volleyball by my dad for coins. But in the long run I thought, if I continue playing volleyball, maybe mama will get to watch me, see me, so I can finally see her.”

Grethcel eventually reunited with her mother during the NCAA’s 91st Season’s awarding ceremony, a moment that brought tears to the people watching live in the venue, on S+A and online.

ABS-CBN believes that as sports are able to change the lives of the sports heroes like Eduard, Alyssa and Grethcel, it can also do the same to the people who watch it. Dino quoted legendary leader Nelson Mandela in describing the impact of sports to people.

“Sports have the power to change the world. It can create hope where there is despair,” he added. And this truth keeps ABS-CBN Sports focused to stay on top of their game.

Catch topnotch sporting action from around the world on S+A and be inspired by the Pusong Palaban displayed by the athletes towards reaching their dreams.