PBA to make live viewing a great treat

LAS VEGAS – The Philippine Basketball Association is mulling more innovations, looking at more in-venue activities to make live viewing a real treat to PBA fans.

“Needless to say, we want the PBA games to be more exciting and more appealing to the fans. On top of that, we’ll reward our live viewers. We’ll offer them a real great experience in being inside the playing venue,” said PBA commissioner Willie Marcial.

“As I’ve said we’ll go heavy on digital and on our CSR (corporate social responsibility) programs. We’ll continue to reach out to the fans and we’ll improve our loyalty programs,” Marcial also said on what has been laid down on their planning session at The Venetian Hotel here.

Meanwhile, PBA chairman Ricky Vargas said the board has agreed to review the league constitution and by-laws to make it attuned to the times and help make the PBA product better.

“There are about 20 items to be changed,” said Vargas, presiding over the PBA summit here also attended by vice chairman Dickie Bachmann, treasurer Raymond Zorrilla and governors Al Panlilio of Meralco, Rod Franco of NLEX, Alfrancis Chua of Barangay Ginebra, Robert Non of San Miguel Beer, Rene Pardo of Magnolia, Erick Arejola of NorthPort, Mert Mondragon of Rain or Shine, Silliman Sy of Blackwater and Bobby Rosales of Columbian Dyip.

“There are outdated rules on fines, and the board wants it changed. They also want the terms of the chairman and the commissioner to be reviewed,” said PBA secretary and legal counsel Melvin Mendoza on the charter change that the league is mulling in their hope to improve the league balance and parity among 12 teams.

New rules may well be adopted in the annual rookie draft – among the process in place purposely to help keep the balance of the league. Some governors are convinced they have to tinker now with the draft rules.

Approved in principle is changing the rules in the election of the league chairman, and in the hiring and firing of the commissioner.

“If the proposal is approved, the chairman can be reelected, but succession is still to be followed,” said Mendoza.

Vargas is to serve as the league chairman until the 2019 Rookie Draft. Set to succeed him in the rotation is Alaska Milk’s Dickie Bachmann.

If the board would choose to reelect Vargas, Bachmann’s term would be pushed to a later season.

As for the commissionership, the tenure will be back to an annual basis after the expiration of Marcial’s three-year term on 2021.