See Us Stronger

For more than 10 years, the MVP Group has supported the journey of Filipino athletes to achieve excellence and bring honor to the flag, investing millions in the quest to celebrate a golden breakthrough in the Olympics. Since the Philippines made its Olympic debut in 1924, only 10 medals were harvested – three silvers and seven bronzes with no gold. In the coming Tokyo Games, the hope is the long wait to hit paydirt will finally be over. And the MVP Group is harnessing its extensive resources to deliver the story of the Philippine delegation’s campaign in the widest multi-media scale ever.

PLDT chairman Manny V. Pangilinan’s passion for sports and love of country are the driving force behind his dream to capture that elusive gold medal. But for MVP, it’s not just about striking gold in Tokyo. It’s also about planting the seeds of hope in turning the corner for the world to conquer this pandemic. Just to push through with holding the Olympics is a feat in itself, given the circumstances that have plagued the universe since the COVID-19 outbreak last year. Sending a Philippine contingent of 17 to 20 athletes in Tokyo is a monumental triumph of the Filipino spirit, regardless of whether they bring home a medal. To represent the country in the world’s biggest sporting event in these challenging times is quite an achievement. To land a podium finish and capture the gold would be the crowning glory.

No other business group as diverse as MVP’s conglomerate can mount a multi-media platform to tell the Olympic story and as PLDT/Smart Communications president/CEO Al Panlilio said the other day, the battlecry is “Laban Pilipinas Puso Para Sa Bayan.” The effort to organize the strongest free and pay TV vehicle for the Olympics is rooted in Pinoy pride. “See Us Stronger” is the hashtag that’s gaining mileage as the Cignal TV/TV5 network’s slogan to invite the nation to tune in to the Olympics and witness history in the making.

“It’s the most comprehensive coverage ever of the Olympics,” said Smart Communications senior vice president and head of consumer wireless business Jane Basas. “Whether live or on demand, we’re offering multiple streams to put the Olympics at the fingertips of sports fans via our Gigafest.smart platform fueled by our 5G network. We’ll play it stronger than ever before. This will be the world’s greatest comeback.”

Cignal TV vice president of channels and content Sienna Olaso said eight to 10 hours of coverage on free TV will be laid out for 17 days with over 10 to 13 channels, including two pop-ups, in the media arsenal. Leading up to the Games, Olaso said the daily show The Game and a 13-episode docu special “This Is Our Team” will keep viewers up to speed on preparations. She said basketball, volleyball and other events of national interest are in the coverage agenda. Cignal TV/TV5’s commitment extends to the SEA Games, Winter Olympics, Asian Games and of course, the 2023 FIBA World Cup.

Panlilio said the pandemic has made it extremely difficult for athletes to gear up for the Olympics. “From a four-year cycle, the Tokyo Olympics went to a five-year cycle,” he said. “The IOC is hell-bent to make it happen. It’s our dream and aspiration to get our first Olympic gold medal and I’m hoping it will happen this year.” Basas said the Olympics is “a victory for all of us” and the MVP Group will deliver a message of hope through its world-class coverage.

All over the world, the MVP Group’s combined TV, over-the-top mobile and internet platforms through Cignal TV, TV5, PLDT and Smart Communications will relate the Olympic story to Filipinos and sports fans. “We will ensure extensive coverage and daily access to the Games across our free-to-air, pay TV and OTT platforms and through our partnership with Smart and PLDT,” said Cignal TV/TV5 president/CEO Robert Galang. “Free-to-air will be on TV5 and One Sports. One Sports+ on Cignal TV will also dedicate a significant amount of daily hours to broadcast the events with Cignal also opening up two exclusive channels dedicated to the Olympics on a 24/7 basis.”