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| (Image Source: NBA.com Philippines/National Basketball Association) |
The National Basketball Association (NBA) announced the global premiere of “The HEIST II” which is now available for online viewing on all the league's social and digital platforms. The film celebrates the 2024 Emirates NBA Cup which tips off with group play on November 12, 2024 (US time) featuring a doubleheader on TNT with the New York Knicks visiting the Philadelphia 76ers at 7:30 pm ET followed by the Golden State Warriors hosting the Dallas Mavericks at 10:00 pm ET. Set once again in Las Vegas, “The HEIST II” delivers a new chapter to last season’s campaign. The film opens with reigning NBA Cup Champion Anthony Davis of the Los Angeles Lakers as he guards the team’s prized NBA Cup trophy. Still celebrating last season’s win, Davis orders champagne to his penthouse suite, unaware that five other NBA All-Stars, Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder), Tyrese Haliburton (Indiana Pacers), Jrue Holiday (Boston Celtics) and Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets), are plotting to steal the trophy from under his nose.
Emmy-award winning actor Michael Imperioli reprises his role as the mastermind of the operation, this time alongside award-winning actress Rosario Dawson. Despite stealthy efforts by the hoopers, including decoys, disguises and theatrics like swimming through the Bellagio Fountain, weaving through a laser field, scaling the building and climbing through elevator shafts, Dawson and Imperioli remain two steps ahead of the NBA stars, snagging the trophy and ultimately forcing them to play for it once again. “Building off the energy of last year’s successful campaign, THE HEIST II continues the fun, exciting story about vying for a new championship for both NBA players and fans alike. We expect the familiar story arc of a theatrical heist to resonate with a broad audience and further cement that the Emirates NBA Cup brings a new level of excitement to the early part of the season," said NBA Chief Marketing Officer Tammy Henault. Complimentary spots will debut ahead of the Knockout Rounds and Semifinals and Championship featuring Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer Grant Hill alongside Imperioli and Dawson discussing the final race to the NBA Cup. Created in conjunction with creative agency Translation, these spots were directed by Paul Hunter and produced by PRETTYBIRD.
All 30 teams have been randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2023-24 regular season. Beginning November 12th and continuing through December 3rd, each team will play four designated Group Play games on “Cup Nights” on Tuesdays and Fridays. Broadcast partners ESPN and TNT will combine to air 14 games during Group Play. Eight teams will advance to the Knockout Rounds, which will consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals, played in NBA team markets on December 10-11, and will culminate with single-elimination Semifinals on December 14th and Championship on December 17th at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
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2024 PFL World Championship Set For November 29, 2024 In Riyadh, Saudi Arabia
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| (Image Source: Professional Fighters League) |
Professional Fighters League (PFL), in partnership with the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia's Ministry of Sport and the Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation (SMMAF), announced the Championships for the 2024 PFL Global Season, which will be available live in the U.S. on ESPN+ and take place on November 29, 2024 in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia. Additionally, the PFL Championships can be seen live on DAZN throughout Canada and Europe with additional premium sports platforms hosting the events worldwide including Setanta Sports in the Philippines and Eurasia. Tickets for this massive night of Championship action are now available exclusively via webook.com.
The final two competitors in the Heavyweight, Light Heavyweight, Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, and Women’s Flyweight divisions will be vying for the $1M dollar purse and the right to be called 2024 PFL World Champion. In addition, PFL MENA’s inaugural season is reaching its conclusion and four champions will also be crowned in the Welterweight, Lightweight, Featherweight, and Bantamweight divisions. PFL MENA is creating a pathway for athletes from the region to compete in the PFL Global Season. All Championship bouts for both the Global Season and PFL MENA will be five, five-minute rounds, and for the first time in the history of the PFL Championships, the rule set will now allow elbows. “The Championships are the culmination of our sports-season format where PFL athletes have beaten the odds to reach this point in the toughest test in all of sports. There are multiple athletes competing who I am excited to see take that next step in their careers, while there are also returning champions who I’m curious to see if they can reach the pinnacle again. That’s what makes this so great. Catch the biggest night in MMA live on ESPN+ and DAZN globally," said PFL CEO Peter Murray.
Hosting the 2024 PFL Championships marks a significant milestone in Saudi Arabia's continued commitment to growing the sport of MMA. The Saudi Mixed Martial Arts Federation and the Ministry of Sport have cemented their commitment to growing the impact of MMA on local youth and young athletes. The event not only provides a platform for the world's best fighters to inspire Saudi youth, but it also offers a global stage for local athletes to compete on at a higher level. Hosting the event also aligns with the country’s Vision 2030 goals of establishing the Kingdom as a global hub for sports and entertainment, inspiring Saudi locals to lead healthy lifestyles, and inspiring youth through sports.
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PROGRESS Wrestling And DEFY Announce New Streaming Deal With TrillerTV
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| (Image Source: TrillerTV) |
PROGRESS Wrestling and DEFY Wrestling, two of the world's premier independent wrestling promotions, are thrilled to announce an exciting partnership with TrillerTV (formerly known as FITE) to stream their upcoming events live and exclusive on the TrillerTV+ global subscription service. This strategic collaboration will allow wrestling fans worldwide to experience live, cutting-edge British and American independent wrestling action which kicked off with PROGRESS's highly anticipated event Chapter 172: WEREWOLVES OF LONDON held last October 27, 2024 at the Electric Ballroom in Camden, London, England.
This marks the beginning of a series of joint streaming shows, showcasing PROGRESS and DEFY's unique blend of high-octane wrestling from both sides of the Atlantic. With this new streaming deal, PROGRESS and DEFY are set to bring their iconic events to a wider audience than ever before. Fans can access the live streams through TrillerTV+, a platform renowned for being a home to premium independent wrestling content. These events will include the following:
PROGRESS Wrestling
• November 17 – Chapter 173: STAY YOUNG & INVINCIBLE (Manchester, England)
• November 24 – Chapter 174: VENDETTA 2 (London, England)
• December 29 – Chapter 175: UNBOXING VII (London, England)
DEFY Wrestling:
• November 9-10 – DDT/TJPW/DEFY Joint Event (Seattle, Washington, USA)
PROGRESS x DEFY Joint Events:
• November 29 – Brooklyn, New York, USA
• December 1 – Chicago, Illinois, USA
PROGRESS Wrestling co-owner Martyn Best expressed his excitement about the new partnership, saying, "We're thrilled to be partnering with Triller to bring PROGRESS and DEFY to a wider audience. We've seen tremendous growth in our fanbase, and streaming on TrillerTV+ will allow us to reach even more people. Chapter 172 is the perfect way to kick off this partnership with some very compelling matches. Over the next three months, fans can look forward to shows from the UK, Seattle, and the US with events in Brooklyn and Chicago over the Thanksgiving weekend." TrillerTV Chief Content Officer Adam Bigwood also shared his enthusiasm for the new partnership, saying, "As a fan of both PROGRESS and DEFY, I'm thrilled to expand our offering of top-tier independent wrestling. This partnership is part of our broader strategy to grow our combat sports & entertainment portfolio, and it complements our expansion into a premium multi-sport platform."
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American Horror Movies Streaming On ABS-CBN YouTube Channels This Halloween
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| (Image Source: ABS-CBN Corporation/Sony Pictures Entertainment) |
Soak up the spook fest this Halloween season by enjoying a movie marathon of American horror movies that are available to stream exclusively on the YouTube channels of Cinemo and iWantTFC in the Philippines. Viewers can enjoy jump scares galore and choose from Sony Pictures Entertainment’s (SPE) classics ranging from family horror films to hair-raising romantic twists. In addition, these YouTube channels also offer SPE's range of romance, comedy, thriller and action movies for Filipino movie lovers to enjoy even after Halloween.
Kickstart the thrilling night with a star-studded gothic horror film “Mary Reilly" starring Julia Roberts and John Malkovich. The 1996 movie follows an innocent housemaid named Mary Reilly (Julia) who uncovers unsettling revelations after feeling a certain admiration for both her employer and his charismatic associate. In James Marsden and Katie Holmes’ eerie film “Disturbing Behavior", three misfit friends stumble across their town’s sinister method of disciplining teens. Another spine-chilling tale unfolds in “13 Ghosts” where a family inherits a beautiful mansion from a deceased relative but unknown to them, the house comes with a slew of ghosts with dangerous agendas.
Viewers can also scream and shout to Stephen King’s “Sleepwalkers” about mother and son shape-shifters who move to a small town to prey on young girls. Meanwhile, in the 2007 film “The Marsh", a children’s book author unravels a mysterious past when she rents a haunted farmhouse where a little girl's brutal murder took place. Finally, get deep into a web of horrific mysteries in "Population 436" where the life of a census-taker is put at risk when he investigates a prison-like community that has had the same population for the last 100 years.
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PLDT, Smart Harness AI To Empower Teachers For Tech-Aided Learning
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| (L-R): Smart Stakeholder Management Manager Mary Jane Francisco, Lyslie Ferry of PLDT's Luzon Stakeholder Management, PLDT-Smart Technolab Officer-In-Charge and Solutions Architect Supervisor John Ervir Cabiling, Andres Sicam Jr. of Department of Education's Schools Division Office of Muntinlupa City, and PLDT Community Relations Associate – Luzon Relations Annie Ferrer. Behind them are the teachers from across Muntinlupa City participating in a symposium featuring hands-on training on useful AI-powered applications that would help them create and enable more engaging experiences for learners. (Image Source: Manila Standard/Smart Communications Inc.) |
PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications Inc. (Smart) empower teachers to be future-ready with special training on Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the classroom. Launched in support of the recent National Teachers’ Month, PLDT and Smart’s "AI Basics: A Smart Start Talk" offers hands-on training on useful AI-powered applications that can help teachers create more engaging classroom experiences for learners. “PLDT and Smart are advocates of ‘Technology for Good’ in the field of education. Heeding the call of the Department of Education to support teacher training, we leverage our digital innovations to ensure that there will be no teachers left behind as we embrace technology-aided learning,” said PLDT and Smart Assistant Vice President and Head of Stakeholder Management Stephanie V. Orlino.
The PLDT Group partnered with the Department of Education (DepEd) – Schools Division of Muntinlupa City to pilot the program. Jon Ervir Cabiling, Solutions Architect Supervisor and Officer-in-Charge of Technolab, PLDT and Smart’s Technology Innovation Center under the Network Strategy and Transformation Office, equipped teachers in elementary, junior and senior high schools with foundational concepts of AI and its core components, AI ethics and responsibilities, and useful real-world applications that will aid their daily tasks. The highlight of the module was the hands-on activity on AI-powered digital tools that help craft slides for presentations, make audio visual presentations, generate quizzes, and create voice over avatars. “The training is timely and compelling. It provides an avenue for teachers to learn about ethical standards on the use of technology and how to put it to good use. Teachers are catalysts of change. We also influence the students. We need to remain relevant by keeping ourselves abreast with trends that help us connect with our students,” said Sheryll S. Gimena, Grade 10 teacher at Muntinlupa Business High School. PLDT and Smart also participated in the free symposium organized by DepEd Manila and Aboitiz Foundation called ‘Empowering Educators: Harnessing AI for Future-Ready Teaching’.
The PLDT Group’s education programs are aligned with the DepEd’s key priorities under Secretary Juan Edgardo “Sonny” Angara. The agency’s five-point agenda prioritizes boosting learners’ foundational skills in reading, math and science to improve the Filipino students’ performance in international large-scale assessments, professional development of teachers, employing digital innovations to augment existing teaching strategies, ensuring senior high school graduates are ready for employment, and improving educational infrastructures and resources. PLDT and Smart continue to collaborate with partners nationwide to promote inclusive and equitable quality education. These initiatives align with the PLDT Group’s efforts to help achieve the nation achieve the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (UNSDG), especially SDG #4 on Quality Education, with a strong emphasis on digital literacy.
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SM And Eye-Able® Pioneers Digital Accessibility In The Philippines
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| (Image Source: SM Supermalls) |
SM Cares is taking a significant step towards digital inclusivity through the launch Eye-Able® on the SM Supermalls website. Users can now experience a more accessible, user-friendly interface designed to enhance browsing for individuals with visual impairments or those requiring digital assistance. This initiative underscores SM’s commitment to inclusivity and accessibility for all, ensuring that no one is left behind in the digital world. Eye-Able® introduces features such as text resizing, contrast adjustments, and screen readers, all designed to help users with special needs navigate the site with ease. By integrating Eye-Able®, SM Supermalls aligns with global standards including the Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAG), enhancing digital access and promoting inclusivity across its digital platform.
By integrating Eye-Able® into its digital offerings, SM Supermalls is not only improving how individuals interact with its website but is also joining a broader movement towards making the digital world accessible to everyone. This reflects SM’s commitment to inclusivity across all its platforms, aiming to ensure that every customer, regardless of ability, can enjoy a seamless and engaging online experience. Eye-Able® is not only a tool for persons with disabilities (PWDs) but also benefits senior citizens and anyone who may find navigating the internet challenging. For example, “Super Grannies” (elderly users) can now easily adjust font sizes for better readability. Younger users and people with different accessibility needs will also find Eye-Able® helpful in creating a smoother and more enjoyable browsing experience.
“When we say SM Supermalls is a mall for all, we mean it in every sense — both physical and digital. We are proud to be at the forefront of this movement, breaking down barriers and making the online world accessible to everyone. We’re proud advocates of digital accessibility as a fundamental right, ensuring that everyone can navigate and enjoy our online spaces with ease," said SM Cares Program Director for Disability Affairs and Senior Citizens Engr. Bien Mateo. SM Cares is the corporate social responsibility arm of SM Supermalls, championing programs that focus on communities and the environment. These include initiatives for Persons with Disabilities, Senior Citizens, the Environment, Women & Breastfeeding Mothers, Children & Youth, and the SM Bike-Friendly initiative.
