NBA enters into partnership with CIGNAL, SMART for broadcast rights in the Philippines

NBA + Cignal + SMART = 2019-2020 NBA season on Philippine TV

Top-quality basketball will make its return to Philippine television.

The National Basketball Association on Monday unveiled a multi-year partnerships with Cignal TV, Inc., as well as SMART Communications, Inc, letting the latter two entities deliver NBA games and programming to Filipino fans, whether it is through free-to-air or satellite television or over-the-top streaming.

The partnership begins this Friday, July 31, with the seeding games, as the NBA restarts its 2019-20 season inside the Disney complex in Florida. Select seeding games and playoff games from the first and second rounds will be shown on TV5 and ONE Sports, with both channels also showing the Conference Finals in their entirety. TV5 also becomes the exclusive home of the NBA Finals.

Cignal is also set to launch a new channel as a result of their partnership with the NBA. Called NBA TV Philippines, it serves as a localized version of NBA TV, which is the NBA's dedicated 24/7 channel. NBA TV Philippines will feature live games and original programming in high definition.

Already in partnership with the NBA with regards to the distribution of League Pass, the NBA's premium live game subscription service, SMART expands on that partnership to also enable NBA TV Philippines to be streamed through its new over-the-top service that is exclusive to its paid subscribers. SMART is also set to revive NBA.com/Philippines later this year. The site is considered as the league's official digital destination in the country, and aside from providing highlights, schedules, scores, and stats, as well as features and analysis from its roster of sports journalists.

NBA Asia Managing Director Scott Levy shares, "The NBA restart is set against a uniquely challenging moment in time for our fans in the Philippines, who are among the most passionate and dedicated NBA supporters in the world. We are excited to partner with Cignal and Smart to bring NBA games to a nationwide audience, and we hope to play a role in lifting the spirits of Filipinos by bringing our fans together through their shared love of the game."

Cignal TV President and CEO Robert Galang adds, "We at Cignal TV are extremely thrilled to bring the world’s biggest basketball league back to every Filipino home. Our partnership with the NBA is a huge milestone in our mission to bring the best content to our viewers and subscribers.  With three channels broadcasting the games, Filipinos now have the chance to experience the NBA live on free TV channels TV5 and ONE Sports, and on Cignal TV’s NBA TV Philippines in high definition.  The game we all love is now truly home."

SMART President and CEO Alfredo Panlilio says, "As some of the world’s biggest basketball fans, the hunger for live basketball action is in our DNA. This is why we at Smart could not contain our excitement as we partner with the NBA to bring the world’s premier basketball league to the fingertips of Filipinos.  This reinforces our commitment to bring amazing experiences through technology made simple by Smart."

Aligned with the upcoming NBA restart and to celebrate the new partnership, Cignal is set to launch "The Game You Love is Home" campaign, highlighting the availability of NBA TV Philippines on select prepaid and postpaid plans.

For updates about the new partnership in their respective perspectives, one can check out www.cignal.tv (Cignal) and www.smart.com.ph (SMART), as well as in their respective social media platforms.

As for broadcast schedules, make sure to check out the social media platforms of TV5, ONE Sports, and Cignal TV, as well as NBA Philippines.