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| (Image Source: GMA Network) |
The first and oldest collegiate sports league in the Philippines has officially found a new home moving forward as the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) signed a landmark multi-year deal with GMA Network, the country's largest broadcasting network, which will cover Seasons 96 to 101 and enable the league to be broadcasted across the Kapuso network's platforms with arguably the widest nationwide reach reaching more than 83 million viewers across the country based on data from AGB Nielsen. This would eventually make NCAA the crown jewel of GMA's foray into sports broadcasting anew.
Prior to the NCAA, GMA has covered and broadcasted several local and international sporting events through the years including the NBA in the 80's and 90's as well as the Shakey's V-League in the early 2000s which is now known as the Premier Volleyball League. It would seem that the league's management committee has made the right choice in choosing the Kapuso network as its new broadcast partner in terms of reach and availability considering that it may spark the start of a new network sports war with reports that the addition of the league may lead to the reformatting of GMA's main sister channel into a news and sports channel in the foreseeable future. Well, that remains to be seen.
Anyway, hosted by Colegio De San Juan De Letran, NCAA Season 96 will only cover basketball, volleyball, athletics and swimming due to the threatening effects of the COVID-19 pandemic. Throughout the season, the league will adhere and implement strict health protocols mandated by the Inter-Agency Task Force Against Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) for the safety and well-being of the athletes and staff. NCAA and college sports fans can enjoy the games on GMA News TV and via online streaming on GMANetwork.com while viewers abroad can also catch the action on GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Network's flagship international channel. However, the Men's Basketball Finals will be exclusively aired on the Kapuso Network's main channel GMA 7.
"We are excited that GMA Network is the new home of the NCAA. At the same time, we are grateful to the NCAA Board for putting their trust in GMA to serve as a platform for showcasing talented Filipino athletes," said GMA Network Chairman and CEO Atty. Felipe L. Gozon. On the other hand, NCAA Season 96 Policy Board and Colegio De San Juan De Letran President Father-Rector Clarence Victor Ocampo, OP said "the NCAA, the Philippines' first and oldest collegiate athletic league, is most happy and honored to enter into partnership with GMA Network Inc., the Philippines' number one TV network. We look forward with hope and excitement as we work together to form our young student-athletes to become the next champions and national athletes who will bring honor and glory to our beloved country, moving towards the league's centennial year."
