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| The official logo of UAAP Season 80 (Image Source: ABS-CBN Sports) |
The 80th season of UAAP has already began and every sports buff in the
Philippines becomes ecstatic on not only which of the eight prestigious
universities will shine greater but also who will be the ones to watch in the highly-anticipated
men's basketball tournament. But to be honest, who would have thought that the
centerpiece behind the league's resurgence would become the most profitable
sporting event on Philippine television?
The UAAP began making waves on Philippine television during the late
70s but not much considering that the televised games that aired before on
government channels were not as hyped and exciting as the present times. To further
describe what they were before in a simple manner, it was just two basketball junkies
looking at a video feed of two collegiate teams duking it out with basically
many dull moments that deserve to be left out in the open.
In the year 2000, UAAP officially made its way on network television
via ABS-CBN's sister channel Studio 23 (now known as S+A) giving the league not
just a bigger audience but the chance to rectify itself from its mistakes in
the past during its previous broadcast deals. Its prominence would eventually become
one of the longest-running and most successful partnerships in the local television
industry to date due to high ratings over the years and advertising spots for
every moment happened during each game all throughout the season.
What interestingly makes UAAP on ABS-CBN Sports stand out among the
rest is the introduction of a new breed of on-cam personalities widely known as
"courtside reporters". Every season, the league has been tapping female
students from its schools to serve as special correspondents assigned to their
respective teams. Some of these courtside reporters are able to make the shift
to a career in broadcasting such as Gretchen Fullido, Tina Marasigan and Pia Arcangel
to name a few.
