NCAA Philippines inks broadcast deal with Cignal

MANILA, Philippines — The Grand Old League will have a new home. 

Cignal TV will now be the new broadcast partner of NCAA Philippines starting NCAA Season 102.

The partnership will be for two seasons.

The agreement was signed between the country’s oldest collegiate league and the broadcasting giant Wednesday afternoon at the PLDT RCB Office in Makati City. 

Mediaquest Holdings Inc. chairman Manny V. Pangilinan said that they have been eyeing the NCAA. 

And now, it is a reality.

"We’ve long been eyeing the NCAA to be added to our growing ledger of sports properties. Here in Cignal, we are sports and we welcome you to your new home," Pangilinan said. 

Mediaquest Holdings Inc. president and CEO Ricky Vargas said that NCAA games will be covered in all platforms, with an emphasis on YouTube. 

“We will cover it in all our platforms, and one of the more important platforms where we will be pushing NCAA will be YouTube… and we are also going to promote it in our Cignal play,” he added. 

“So, welcome to RPTV, and welcome to your new home, OneSports, the biggest provider of sports in the Philippines.” 

NCAA Philippines policy board president Fr. Aloysius Maranan, OSB, voiced elation with the new partnership. 

"We are delighted to find the best home for the NCAA with Cignal and we're overjoyed to begin a new chapter in the storied history of the league. We believe this collaboration will strengthen Philippine sports and we look forward to a fruitful and meaningful collaboration with Cignal." 

The NCAA has aired over GMA the previous seasons. 

With this, the UAAP and the NCAA will be under the same broadcast umbrella.