Sports broadcasting contracts in the Philippines

These are the sports broadcasting contracts in the Philippines. There are two primary local producers of sport programs in the country: Solar Sports and ABS-CBN.

Solar airs its sports programming on VHF C/S9 and cable channels Solar Sports and Basketball TV. Solar covered the 2008 Summer Olympics at these stations and on UHF SBN on which it airs its ETC channel, RJTV 29 on which it is a block-timer airing 2nd Avenue programming, and on cable channel Jack TV. Solar also enters into a blocktime agreement on GMA Network for selecting boxing matches, notably Manny Pacquiao matches. Solar's flagship sports program is PBA on C/S9, a broadcast of the Philippine Basketball Association games, on which it won the bid over ABS-CBN with a deal of P508 million for the next three years starting 2008.

ABS-CBN airs its sports programming on UHF Studio 23 and cable channel Balls. It also airs select boxing matches on its flagship station, VHF Channel 2, notably Pacquiao matches before Solar regained the rights. Its flagship broadcast it its airing of the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) men's basketball tournament; its current contract is worth P75 million for five years which will end in 2009.

Solar also holds the rights to the National Basketball Association on which it sends its own broadcast team for the NBA Finals. The airing of the NBA games caused a stir when Solar withdrew their channels from SkyCable (of which ABS-CBN owns); the NBA games returned to SkyCable subscribers in time for the 2008–09 NBA season via Basketball TV, albeit at an extra cost to subscribers "after clamor for NBA games has just been too high."

Foreign sports other than the NBA are aired, but on cable channels, notably Solar's, ABS-CBN's and ESPN Star Sports' family of channels.

Local sports

Basketball

• PBA: VHF C/S9 with replays on cable Basketball TV
• PBL: VHF C/S9 with replays on cable Basketball TV
• Liga Pilipinas: cable Solar Sports
• PCC: VHF C/S9 and cable Basketball TV
• UAAP: UHF Studio 23
• NCAA: UHF Studio 23

Boxing

• Manny Pacquiao bouts: VHF GMA and C/S9 , cable Solar Sports

Football (soccer)

• UAAP: UHF Studio 23 (highlights)

Horse racing

• San Lazaro races: cable VIVA Prime Channel

Volleyball

• Shakey's V-League: VHF NBN, cable VIVA Prime Channel
• UAAP: UHF Studio 23

Foreign sports

American football

• NFL: VHF C/S9, UHF Studio 23, cable Balls and Solar Sports
• NCAA-Division I FBS: ESPN Philippines

Auto racing

• Formula One: cable Star Sports (ESPN Philippines during Wimbledon week)
• Indianapolis 500: cable ESPN Philippines
• Sprint Cup Series: cable ESPN Philippines
• MotoGP: cable Star Sports
• GP2 Series: cable Star Sports

Baseball

• Major League Baseball: cable ESPN Philippines (mostly New York Yankees games)
• World Baseball Classic: cable ESPN Philippines

Basketball

• NBA: VHF C/S9, cable Basketball TV, ESPN Philippines, Star Sports
• NCAA Men's Division I: cable Basketball TV (NCAA Tournament), ESPN Philippines and Star Sports (Conference tournaments and regular season)
• McDonald's All-American Game: ESPN Philippines
• Euroleague: cable Basketball TV
• FIBA tournaments: VHF C/S9 for Philippines games, cable Basketball TV for other games

Football (soccer)

• FIFA World Cup: Pay-per-view Solar All-Access
• UEFA Champions League: cable ESPN Philippines and Star Sports
• UEFA Cup: cable Star Sports (Final only)
• Premier League: cable ESPN Philippines and Star Sports
• La Liga: cable Solar Sports

Mixed martial arts

• Ultimate Fighting Championship: cable Balls

Rugby union

• Rugby World Cup: cable Star Sports
• Six Nations Championship: cable Star Sports
• Heineken Cup: cable Star Sports
• Super 14: cable Star Sports

Tennis

• Australian Open: cable Star Sports
• French Open: cable Solar Sports
• Wimbledon Championships: cable Star Sports
• U.S. Open: cable Star Sports
• Other tennis tournaments: cable Star Sports, Solar Sports, Balls