RPTV to serve as NBA's new broadcast partner

The NBA is set to have a new home for the three remaining postseason series in the Philippines.

Filipino basketball fans will be able to watch both the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, as well as the upcoming NBA Finals, on RPTV, a free-to-air channel offering sports, news, and entertainment.

Coverage already started with Game 1 of the ECF featuring the Boston Celtics and the Indiana Pacers earlier this morning, and will continue with the upcoming matchup of the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Dallas Mavericks, which starts Thursday morning.

Launched back in February with both TV5 and MediaQuest acting as content providers, RPTV provides public service, entertainment, and sports programming that caters to the diverse interests of Filipinos and the whole family.

TV5 President and CEO Guido R. Zaballero shares, "Bringing the NBA to more Filipino homes reinforces our commitment to make RPTV the go-to channel for the best sports content in the country."

RPTV already serves as the home of the PBA and the PBA D-League, and already has shown matches in the just concluded Premier Volleyball League.

One can find RPTV on these channels: Channel 9 Analog and either Channel 19 or Channel 18.3 DTT. It is available on over three hundred cable and satellite providers nationwide, and can be seen through Cignal Play, which you can watch online or through its app.

More sports to come in October for SKY

What to watch on SKY

As the month of October winds down, SKYcable remains committed to provide die-hard sports fans access to some of the biggest sporting events LIVE in the comfort of their own homes.

beIN Sports will showcase the much-anticipated El Clasico between storied LaLiga rivals Real Madrid and FC Barcelona on October 24, 1010pm.

Premier Sports will have the prime selection of NFL Week 7 games, including Denver Broncos vs Cleveland Browns on October 22 at 8am, Indianapolis Colts vs San Francisco 49ers on October 25 at 8am, and New Orleans Saints vs Seatlle Seahawks on October 26 at 8am. Said channel will also showcase the F1 United States Grand Prix in the early morning of October 25.

If one prefers a different kind of speed, MotoGP is slated to have its Italian GP on October 23-24, with SPOTV set to showcase the race.

Also set to be shown on Premier Sports this Halloween is UFC 267, with the main event taking place at Fight Island in Abu Dhabi being a light heavyweight title showdown between Jan Blachowicz and Glover Teixeira. Action begins at 2am.

And on Fight Sports this coming October 24, Jamel Herring and Shakur Stevenson are set to slug it out for the WBO junior lightweight title, starting at 9am.

Make sure to take advantage of these sporting events through the different subscriptions plans SKYcable is offering, especially with the new HD plans (HD500, HD1000, HD1500) now available. Check out mysky.com.ph for specifics on the different plans or one can already apply for them by texting SKY <space> APPLY <space> <NAME> to 23662 (free on all networks).

Make sure to follow SKY on Facebook (fb.com/myskyupdates), Twitter, and Instagram (@myskyupdates) for the latest updates.

The NBA on Christmas: By the Numbers

Here are some numbers to watch from this season's slate of Christmas Day games


338. LeBron James is third all-time in points scored during Christmas. Only Kobe Bryant (395) and Oscar Robertson (377) have scored more.

140. That is the number of NBA Cares' Season of Giving events that have been conducted this season so far, serving over 130,000 meals and distributing over ten thousand gifts. Among those activities is the "12 Days of Khrismas" that Khris Middleton conducted in Milwaukee.

60. That is the scoring record for a Christmas Day game, which Bernard King accomplished 35 years ago.

31. That is the number of years that passed before Philadelphia will host a Christmas Day game, a streak that will end this year against the Milwaukee Bucks.

30. That is the number of international players that are currently on the rosters of the teams participating in the Christmas Day games, covering seventeen countries.

28. The number of All-Stars currently on the rosters of the teams participating in the Christmas Day games. Voting for the All-Star Game starters commences at midnight, Manila time, by the way.

25. Scottie Pippen led the Chicago Bulls to a 107-104 overtime victory over the New York Knicks on this day 25 years ago, putting up 36 points, sixteen rebounds, and five steals.

23. The number of wins on this day by the Los Angeles Lakers, which is the most in the league.

15. The number of appearances in Christmas Day games for Doc Rivers, broken down into four as a player and eleven as a head coach.

14. If he plays against the Los Angeles Clippers, LeBron James will move into solo second in games played during Christmas. Only Kobe Bryant (16) has played more during that day.

12. Twelve straight seasons that the NBA has opted for a quintuple-header for their holiday showcase.

10. If James can help tow the Los Angeles Lakers to a victory over the Clippers, he would match Dwyane Wade's record of ten Christmas Day victories.

6. That is the number of players who have pulled off a triple-double on this day: Robertson (1960, 1961, 1963, 1967), John Havlicek (1967), Billy Cunningham (1970), James (2010), Russell Westbrook (2013), and Draymond Green (2017).

4. The number of Kia NBA Most Valuable Players playing on this day: James Harden, Westbrook, James, and its latest winner, Giannis Antentokounmpo

3. The number of 2019 NBA All-Stars playing their first Christmas Day Game: Nikola Jokic, Kyle Lowry, and Kemba Walker

1. For its US broadcast, ESPN tweaked its pregame coverage this season, with this new set-up making their first Christmas. Before the Bucks-Sixers game, NBA Countdown hosted by Maria Taylor with Jalen Rose, Jay Williams, and Adrian Wojnarowski will take place. The Jump hosted by Rachel Nichols with Paul Pierce and Scottie Pippen will have a 30-minute pregame show before the start of the Clippers-Lakers game. Occurring simultaneously as The Jump is Hoop Streams, which is hosted by Cassidy Hubbarth with Kendrick Perkins and Amin El-Hassan and will be shown on ESPN's digital platforms. All three shows will also be on the ESPN app.

NBA set for Christmas extravaganza

NBA on Christmas

The NBA is once again set to be the front and center of sporting action on Christmas Day, with the 72nd edition sporting a five-game special that will last the whole day, with the whole world watching, as fans in 215 countries and 46 languages will have the opportunity to see some of the best and brightest show their skills on the basketball court.

In the Philippines, fans will have the chance to watch one of them on local television, with the Clippers vs Lakers matchup on CNN Philippines at 9am LIVE. Also, the Celtics vs Raptors matchup will be shown on the social media platforms of NBA Philippines live at 1am. For League Pass subscribers, all games are accessible to be watched from whatever device you choose to watch it on.

What can we watch from each of the games scheduled?

Celtics at Raptors

• This is the second game the Raptors have played on the holiday and the first at home.
• A lot of the players on both sides will be making their Christmas debuts, including Kyle Lowry and Pascal Siakam for Toronto, and Kemba Walker for Boston.
• Both teams have overcome the departure of their respective leading scorers with Siakam and Jayson Tatum making their case to be potential All-Stars.
• Expect a defensive battle, with both teams being ranked in the top 5 in Defensive Rating.

Bucks at Sixers

• This is the first Christmas game in Philadelphia since 1988.
• Both head coaches (Mike Budenholzer and Brett Brown) are from the Gregg Popovich coaching tree, having served as Spurs assistants before they were hired to take over head coaching duties elsewhere.
• Tobias Harris was the 19th overall draft pick by the Bucks in 2011. He's now fresh from signing a long-term deal with the Sixers.
• Kyle Korver was the 51st overall draft pick by the Sixers in 2003. He's now with the Bucks, reunited with Budenholzer who coached him with the Atlanta Hawks earlier this decade. The Creighton alum is also one of three remaining players from that fabled draft class still in the league, alongside LeBron James and Carmelo Anthony.
• Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged 43-15.7-7.7 in his three regular-season meetings against Milwaukee. The Greek Freak is looking to raise to ante after becoming the Most Valuable Player last season, averaging 31 points, 12.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 1.3 steals, 1.2 blocks, and shooting 56.6% from the field (34.2% from three-point range) so far.
• Joel Embiid contributed a 34-13-13 triple-double against the Bucks last season, and he is currently putting up 23 points, 12.6 rebounds, 3.2 assists, .9 steals, and 1.4 blocks so far for the Sixers, who are currently fifth in the Eastern Conference.

Rockets at Warriors

• They have met in the postseason in four of the last five seasons, but this is the first time they have met at Christmas.
• James Harden is averaging 38.6 points so far this season and is on pace to be the third-highest scoring average in NBA history.
• Draymond Green (2017) and Russell Westbrook (2013) have netted triple-doubles during Christmas, joining four others who have done the feat on that particular day. In what would be his tenth Christmas Day game, Westbrook has a chance to move up the all-time assists charts during the holiday, as four assists would move him past Dwyane Wade (80) for fourth place and nine assists would move him past Kobe Bryant (85) for third place.
• Only one player on the NBA active roster has a birthday on Christmas: Eric Gordon. The former Sixth Man of the Year winner will be sidelined due to a knee injury, though.
• Golden State may have struggled this season due to the absence of their key cogs that brought them championships, but a couple have stepped in to help try to fill the large hole: D'Angelo Russell was able to put up 52 points in a game last month, while Eric Paschall has been a positive surprise this season. The Villanova alum and the 41st pick in this season's NBA Draft is putting up 15.2 points, 4.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists in just under 50% shooting for the Warriors.

Clippers at Lakers

• The Clippers are currently 24-5 against their fellow Staples Center tenants since the 2012-13 season, including their 112-102 win on Opening Night.
• The Lakers are a Christmas Day staple. They have been playing on this day for the last 21 seasons., including this upcoming one. They have 23 wins on this day, which is the most amongst any team.
• LeBron James is the league leader in assists at 10.6 per game. He and Anthony Davis are currently questionable to play due to their respective injury knocks (muscle strain in rib for LeBron, right knee for AD).
• James is at the cusp of Christmas Day history if he plays. It would be his 14th Christmas Day game (only Kobe Bryant has more with 16), winning nine of those (only Dwyane Wade has more with ten). He will need to score forty points to move past Oscar Robertson for second place all-time in scoring during Christmas. He would also move past Oscar in field goals made if he makes eight buckets.
• The Clippers will be coming into the game without any injury issues. They are coming off a loss against the Oklahoma City Thunder where both Kawhi Leonard and Patrick Beverley sat out.
• Players in this game who have played for both the Lakers and Clippers: Avery Bradley and Jared Dudley for the Lakers and Lou Williams and Ivica Zubac for the Clippers.

Pelicans at Nuggets

• This is the first Christmas game in Denver since 1994.
• Even with their struggles, one of New Orleans' eight wins this season came against the Nuggets, a 122-107 Halloween blowout.
• Along with Westbrook, JJ Redick has played in nine Christmas Day games. Only LeBron James (13) and Udonis Haslem (10) have played in more such games among active players.
• The Nuggets have a template to which the Pelicans emulate their future. Denver's core is predominantly homegrown, with Nikola Jokic, Gary Harris, and Jamal Murray coming through the draft, with veterans like Will Barton and Paul Millsap providing leadership. The Pelicans have a young core centered on this season's top overall draft pick Zion Williamson, alongside the youngsters that comprised the Anthony Davis trade in Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Josh Hart.

CNN Philippines to show NBA games

Coming to CNN Philippines.

The impasse with regards to free tv coverage of the NBA seems to have been resolved for the time being, as the league, through NBA Philippines, has agreed to have select matches shown on CNN Philippines (Channel 5 in Zamboanga, Channel 8 in Bacolod, Channel 9 in Manila, Cebu, and Davao, and Channel 12 in Baguio, among others).

NBA Philippines Managing Director Carlo Singson shares, "Weekends just got better with the return of live NBA games on national television through CNN Philippines. Filipino fans now have a choice of watching our games across a variety of platforms including television, computers and mobile devices via social media and NBA League Pass."

Select games will be shown starting on November 16, starting with the matchup between the Boston Celtics and the Golden State Warriors at 1130am.

The other games that will be shown on CNN Philippines for the rest of the month of November are as follows:

November 17: Milwaukee Bucks at Indiana Pacers, 8am
November 23: Houston Rockets at Los Angeles Clippers, 1130am
November 24: New Orleans Pelicans at Utah Jazz, 10am
November 30: Dallas Mavericks at Phoenix Suns, 10am

Aside from games, they will also feature highlights on their various news programs, including Sports Desk and News Night.

The NBA will also continue to stream select matches on its social media channels (Facebook, Twitter). They will announce in advance which games will receive such treatment.

In addition, fans can opt to invest in NBA League Pass, which delivers unrivaled access to NBA games and programming, as well as downloadable content, exclusive features, and more.

One can available of NBA LP via watch.nba.com or downloading the official NBA App on the App Store and Google Play, with the ability to choose options from the plethora of packaging options. Globe, PLDT, and SMART subscribers can also bundle NBA LP offerings onto their respective data services, with the variety of packages available. For Globe subscribers, one can secure NBA LP offerings through its official store on Lazada and Shopee.

Ulimate Boxing Series set for June 23 premiere

Outgoing TV5 head Chot Reyes with Gerry Penalosa

The much-anticipated sports reality series finally has a premiere date.

ESPN5 Boxing, in collaboration with Gerrypens Promotions, will premier its touted boxing tournament training program, Ultimate Boxing Series: Kamaong Pinoy, on June 23, 2019, and will be seen Sundays at noon on TV5.

Twenty professional prospects from a variety of Filipino boxing stables throughout the country will have the chance to train in one roof, under the auspices of former two-time champion and boxing legend Gerry ‘Fearless’ Peñalosa. Ten are from the bantamweight division, with the other ten being from the flyweight division.

The fights will take place at the boxing facility TV5 has carved out of its Novaliches complex. ESPN5 Boxing earlier this month had hosted a fight card there in collaboration with Sanman Promotions.

The lucky finalists in both divisions will be featured as co-main events for the upcoming title fight between Carlo Penalosa and Maximino Flores for the vacant IBO flyweight championship in a couple of months.

Aside from the fights, UBS: KP will also provide a behind-the-scenes look in their respective training and conditioning, as well as shed light on what their motivations are for lacing up their gloves, whether personal or professional. As such, it is a way for the show to illustrate who they are and why they do this.

Peñalosa shares, "Ang Kamaong Pinoy ay hindi lang panglaban, ito rin ay pang-protekta ng mga mahal sa buhay."

Outgoing TV5 head Chot Reyes adds, "The Filipino boxing scene has never been this exciting. The search for the next dominant Pinoy boxer can come from anywhere and bring something new to the table – a new stable, a new boxing style, a new motivation. We are proud to be a pivotal part of this, and to share Gerry Peñalosa’s vision in his search for the next Fearless Pinoy Fighter."

AksyonTV evolves into 5 Plus

TV5 Pres & CEO Chot Reyes with Anna Bengzon & Mell Yazon-Tolentino

Earlier today, AksyonTV officially made its evolution to 5 Plus.

The change had been officially unveiled via a press launch earlier this week, as TV5 decided to streamline its coverage to be more in-line with what it wants to be.

5 Plus will act as 5's secondary channel, tailored to a younger and more adventurous audience with its atypical sports and sports-related content. To reflect the change, a complete overhaul has been made, which includes its look and its music identity and sonic branding.

TV5 President and CEO Chot Reyes shares, "We are excited to start the new year with the launch of 5 Plus. The intent was to create a home for what we call atypical sports – titles with a highly engaged audience base that don’t typically receive visibility of this scale. Expanding our sports coverage also enables us to attract a new audience: the younger sports fan. 5 Plus aims to serve content that resonates with the pace of their active lifestyle, and is in line with their varied interests. The combination of both 5 and 5 Plus allows us to cement and expand further our foothold in sports."

He also shared that 5 Plus will also serve a major role if they secure the rights to cover the SEA Games.

AksyonTV viewers are already accustomed to seeing eSports coverage on the channel, and that will continue with the rebrand to 5 Plus, highlighted by the much-anticipated The Nationals, which focuses on games like DoTA 2, Mobile Legends, and Tekken.

Basketball continues to be a focus, with coverage of the upcoming Philippine Collegiate Champions League later this month, as well as action from the National Basketball Training Center.

XGames coverage will also be spun off from 5 to 5 Plus. Also expect original content from Sports5 to also be a part of its portfolio.

For those who were watching the radio simulcast of Radyo5 on AksyonTV, such programming will be still be available, albeit at their new home at Cignal.

In addition, selected 5 Plus content will also be made available online, whether on TV5 on or 5's various social media platforms.

The Score set for October relaunch

The Score is getting a makeover.

The flagship program of S+A is getting a new look and a more exciting format when it relaunches on October 1, with the one and only Mico Halili taking over the reins as its host from TJ Manotoc. It will be broadcast first LIVE on ABS-CBN Sports' YouTube channel, with a 6pm primetime airing on S+A and S+A HD.

Mico will be enlisting a crack team of sporting icons to help deliver the latest sports news, analysis, and features. The list includes the likes of Michele Gumabao, Joe DeVance, Paolo Javelona, and Beau Belga, who were at the press launch on Thursday, as well as Joe's Ginebra teammates in Jett Manuel and LA Tenorio, among others.

Each day on The Score brings a different flavor aside from the expected rundown of what went on in the world of sports, with Mondays and Fridays devoted to the hottest sporting issues of the day. Tuesdays and Wednesdays will feature one-on-one interviews with sports personalities revealing their stories beyond the game and shedding an additional light. Thursdays center on basketball, with light and amusing conversations from Mico and his cast of characters.

According to ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena, "We are very excited to bring The Score further to the digital sphere where we know our audiences love to watch their favorite teams and players while interacting with fellow sports fans. We are also airing it on television on primetime to reach more Filipinos, especially the youth who look up to our athletes as role models and find inspiration in their journey to greatness."

S+A channel head Vince Rodriguez adds, "Mico has always been about being ahead of the game and that is one of the reasons we got him back to lead the digital strategy of ABS-CBN Sports. It was probably fate that we are in need of a new face to lead The Score and his combination of experience as an anchor, credibility as a sports analyst, and digital savvy make him the unanimous choice for the post."

The Score will be first shown via ABS-CBN Sports' YouTube channel at 1pm, with the subsequent S+A telecast to take place at 6pm (or after whatever LIVE coverage S+A is having).

ABS-CBN Sports set for NCAA Season 94 basketball coverage

The head coaches at the bottom row, with ABS-CBN Sports head Dino Laurena

S+A is set to once again showcase the 94th season of the NCAA when it kicks off tomorrow at the Mall of Asia Arena in Pasay City.

They will start the coverage with the Opening Ceremonies at 12nn, followed by a doubleheader starting at 2pm, with San Beda facing hosts Perpetual followed by Lyceum going up against San Sebastian at 4pm.

The collegiate basketball matches will be shown LIVE on both S+A and S+A HD all season, as well as being streamed on sports.abs-cbn.com. Coverage will be handled by an elite broadcast crew led by Andrei Felix, Anton Roxas, Migs Bustos, Martin Antonio, and Mikee Reyes, with Mico Halili and LA Tenorio serving as the new additions. Handling courtside duties are stalwarts Ceej Tantengco and Roxanne Montealegre, joined by courtside alumnae Angelique Manto and Ganiel Krishnan and newcomers Chase Orozco and Aya de Quiroz.

A new element for the NCAA from ABS-CBN Sports is the introduction of "Upfront" to the coverage. Hosted by the squad of Manto, Martin Javier, Janeena Chan, and Turs Daza with the special participation of Ricci Rivero and Alyssa Valdez, Upfront will now allow viewers to get to know the student-athletes of the NCAA.

NCAA them moves into its regular time slots of Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays. With Thursdays being allotted for the league's "NCAA On Tour." ABS-CBN Sports' official hashtags for this season are #NCAASeason94 and #GalingNCAA

LG, Grand Hyatt set up World Cup screenings at Pool House

LG + Grand Hyatt World Cup screening

For those still looking a great place to watch the World Cup, LG and the Grand Hyatt Hotel inside the Bonifacio Global City have a partnership ongoing that can help provide the ultimate World Cup viewing experience for the football fan.

The Pool House at Grand Hyatt has been hosting viewing events since the tournament started, showing the matches onto a giant 86-inch UHD television. Fans, whether as a hotel guest or as a local can pop into the poolside venue and cheer on their favorite teams without the need for a reservation or paying a fee. One can even "dive in" and enjoy a dip onto the pool while watching arguably the biggest sporting spectacle in the world.

Aside from the monstrous 86-inch screen, LG also has its OLED TV E8 on display at the Pool House. Its AI technology and Alpha 9 Intelligent Processor makes it one of the better options to watch football on. Its richness in color, amazing sound, stunning clarity and quick motion-handling feature, alongside its high contrast and perfect black levels ensure that one will not miss every move being showcased on the fields of Russia.

To mark that partnership, LG Philippines and Grand Hyatt Hotel executives got together to formalize matters.

From left to right: Mr. Bogensperger (Grand Hyatt Manila General Manager), Ms. Ledesma (Grand Hyatt Manila Director of Sales and Marketing), Ms. Ryu (Philalphakor Internation Inc. Director), Mr. An (LG Electronics Philippines VP for Home Entertainment), Mr. Ganser (Grand Hyatt Manila Director of Food & Beverage)

You can catch the remaining World Cup matches at these times.

Quarterfinals:

July 6 at 10pm: Uruguay vs France
July 7 at 2am: Brazil vs Belgium
July 7 at 10pm: Sweden vs England
July 8 at 2am: Russia vs Croatia

Semifinals:

July 11 at 2am: Uruguay-France winner vs Brazil-Belgium winner
July 12 at 2am: Russia-Croatia winner vs Sweden-England winner

Third place playoff: July 14 at 10pm

Final: July 15 at 11pm

Barcelona vs Eibar this weekend

Messi on a roll for the current La Liga leaders (photo c/o BeIN)

Spanish football on S+A continues this weekend, as FC Barcelona attempts put even more breathing room atop La Liga, as the Catalan giants travel to the Ipurua stadium against Eibar.

Telecast begins this Saturday at 11pm with the kickoff slated at 1115pm.

Barca is toting a seven-point lead over Atletico Madrid after 23 matches, although their last two league matches have resulted in draws. The match also comes just days away from their titanic matchup against Chelsea at Stamford Bridge.

As for the hosts, their back-to-back victories in league play have gotten them at the cusp of potential continental action next season, with 35 points putting them in seventh place.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN Sports in the past couple of days have shown LIVE Champions League action, with the first leg of Round of 16 play.

Early Wednesday morning, football fans stayed up to see Tottenham snatch a 2-2 draw against Juventus in Turin, while early Thursday morning saw Cristiano Ronaldo make history by scoring his 100th goal for Real Madrid in Champions League play, as he led the defending champions to a 3-1 win over Paris Saint-Germain.

Televised Champions League action resumes next week with the aforementioned Chelsea vs Barcelona matchup as well as another English vs Spanish collision course in the form of Sevilla against Manchester United.

ABS-CBN Sports launches LIGA

Liga. Now available.

Those who have been channel surfing as of late would notice classic UAAP games being shown on one particular channel.

That channel is ABS-CBN Sports' new 24-hour sports channel. Called Liga, it will not only be the place to check out old UAAP matches, but also serve as the hub for the upcoming FIFA World Cup coverage.

Since January, viewers have been able to not only watch old UAAP games as early as those from UAAP Season 70, but also the European portion of the FIFA World Cup Qualifiers. And by serving as the main channel for the 2018 FIFA World Cup, sports fans have more reasons to tune in, according to channel head Jojo Neri-Estacio.

For the upcoming UAAP Season, they will be showing complete volleyball coverage, including the men's division. With S+A only showing the 10am men's games, Liga will be showing the 8am games as well. Liga will also be showing the other televised competitions in the UAAP.

Liga will also broadcast games from the ASEAN Basketball League as well as the Premier Volleyball League when it kicks off later this season.

Liga is available for SKY Cable (as Channel 86 in SD and 183 in HD) and SKY Direct subscribers (as Channel 14). Those in the provinces can check with their provincial cable affiliate for channel availability.

SKY Select now offers cockfighting coverage via SLTV

Cockfighting on Sky? Channel now coming soon.

SKY is set to offer the first 24-hour channel specially tailored for Philippine cockfighting in the form of SLTV.ph.

SLTV airs up to twelve hours of live and replay broadcasts of hackfights, derby programs, as well as other cockfighting-related shows from various cockpit arenas in the country.

Interested viewers can avail of SLTV.ph for a thousand pesos monthly via ONE SKY, SKYCable, or SKYdirect. For further details, one can contact 418-0000 or www.mysky.com.ph/getsltv.

Liverpool-City highlighting S+A club football coverage this weekend

Embed from Getty Images

Top-notch club football returns on S+A this weekend, highlighted by the much anticipated matchup between Manchester City and Liverpool on Sunday night at 1155pm.

The Reds are seeking to be the first team to defeat the Sky Blues this season, with the chance to move up to as high as second in the Premier League. They are, however, going to attempt to do this without Philippe Coutinho, as the midfielder has since taken his talents to FC Barcelona. Trying to offset his loss is the presence of Dutch international Virgil van Dijk, who score the game-winner in their third round FA Cup match against Merseyside rivals Everton.

Under Pep Guardiola, City has romped all across English football, erecting a fifteen-point lead against rivals Manchester United. They have done so through offensive firepower, with Raheem Sterling and Sergio Aguero netting 27 out of the 64 goals they have scored this season. Liverpool themselves became one of those witnesses of such outbursts, suffering a 5-0 defeat back in September.

Earlier this morning, S+A showed live La Liga action, with Getafe sending Malaga to their fourth straight league loss. Juan Cala scored the lone goal of the match in the 73rd minute to secure a key victory for the hosts as they get themselves within an earshot of continental play next season. The loss keeps the visitors level on points at the bottom of the league, alongside Las Palmas.

Later tonight, though, S+A will be showing another stellar matchup between two top Spanish sides, as Villarreal visit the Santiago Bernabeu in the Spanish capital to face Real Madrid at 1110pm.

The Yellow Submarine seek to bounce back from a disappointing exit in the Copa del Rey against Leganes, whilst the Galacticos have yet to really impress since being tagged with a 3-0 defeat to rivals FC Barcelona.

Christmas Day basketball on Philippine TV

Basketball fans in the Philippines will be in for a treat, as three of the five NBA games scheduled for Christmas will be shown on local television, highlighted by the NBA Finals rematch between the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Golden State Warriors on S+A.

The Cavs and Warriors have met in the finals for three straight seasons, and the subsequent Christmas Day matchup between the two teams have been a fixture on this schedule for the past three seasons, the first circumstance that has happened since the Heat vs Lakers in the mid 00s.

Last year's matchup saw Kyrie Irving rescue the then-defending champions to snatch the victory over the then-former champions, 109-108, in what may have been one of the best games last season. The Cavs were down 14 in the fourth quarter, with the Duke alum converting the game-winner with 3.4 seconds remaining. The Warriors won their first Christmas Day matchup, 89-83, back in 2015.

Warriors will not have Steph Curry for this matchup, as he recovers from his ankle injury. Meanwhile, Cavs won't have Isaiah Thomas, but he is getting closer and closer to making his season debut with them. He just came off a stint with the Canton Charge to get some additional practice time before being called up again to the Cavs.

Even without Steph and Isaiah, there is still star wattage from this matchup, led by LeBron James and Dwyane Wade, both of whom are the active all-time scoring and assists leaders for those who have played on this day. For Wade, this will be his 13th Christmas Day game, with only Kobe Bryant having played more on this holiday. On the other side, there's Kevin Durant, whose once scored 44 against Denver back in 2010 when he was still with the Oklahoma City Thunder.

Speaking of the Thunder, they will host the Houston Rockets at 9am, a match to be shown LIVE on BTV.

The Rockets head to Oklahoma City for the first time since their playoff matchup last season, which served as some sort of referendum as to who was the MVP between James Harden and Russell Westbrook. Russ would eventually get the nod, although James became the only unanimous selection to the All-NBA First Team.

Both teams have retooled since their playoff exits, adding some star wattage by trading for Chris Paul, Carmelo Anthony, and Paul George. They are also seeking their sixth win on this holiday.

The third game features the Los Angeles Lakers, as they face the Minnesota Timberwolves at 1130am on NBA Premium.

This particular matchup will have a special touch since it will have the Inside The NBA hosts (Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O'Neal, and Charles Barkley) handling the broadcast duties, while sideline action will be handled by Inside Stuff's Kristen Ledlow. Like the other two matchups above, this will be their first meeting of the season.

The Lakers have virtually been a fixture for Christmas Day games, with the upcoming one being its 19th straight appearance, and 43rd overall. In contrast, this is just the second one for the Timberwolves, fresh from their debut last year against Oklahoma City.

Billed as a matchup involving the top overall picks (Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins) against the second overall picks (Brandon Ingram and Lonzo Ball)

This matchup just received disappointing news as Ball was ruled out of this matchup due to a shoulder issue that was confirmed via MRI, while Ingram was questionable due to his quad. However, this provides the opportunities for the other young guys like Kyle Kuzma, Jordan Clarkson, and Larry Nance, Jr. to step up.

For those who have NBA League Pass, they can catch the other two NBA games on Christmas, which are the New York Knicks against the Philadelphia 76ers at 1am and Washington Wizards against the Boston Celtics at 630am.

TV schedule tomorrow:

Cavs vs Warriors: 4am LIVE on S+A and NBA Premium
Rockets vs Thunder: 9am LIVE on BTV
Lakers vs Timberwolves: 1130am LIVE on NBA Premium

El Clasico tonight LIVE on S+A

Messi. Ronaldo. Coming soon tonight on S+A.

One of the most anticipated club football rivalries makes it way to Filipino free television.

Thanks to the partnership of ABS-CBN Sports and Triple CH, S+A will be showcasing the match-up between FC Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Bernabeu inside the Spanish capital.

Kickoff is slated at 8pm, with pre-game coverage commencing at 750pm.

The Catalans have been lording it over this season in La Liga, netting 42 points in sixteen matches, toting a six-point lead over Atleti in the standings. Meanwhile, Real is in fourth place with 31 points, although they have two games in hand over almost all the teams in the division.

A victory by the reigning Champions League titleholders could slice the gap between the two teams to just eight points, and make the race atop the Spanish top-flight a little bit more interesting.

Barca won their last league meeting, a 3-2 victory that saw Lionel Messi secure the game-winner in injury time. However, Real won the last two meetings on the field, which took place at the Super Cup back in August, taking a 5-1 aggregate after two legs.

Real are also fresh from clinching the FIFA Club World Cup crown, defeating Gremio, 1-0, on Cristiano Ronaldo's 53rd minute strike.

In addition, S+A will also show the Premier League match-up between current pacesetters Manchester City against a struggling Bournemouth, which kicks off at 11pm tonight.

Sky Sports PPV to show Saunders vs Lemieux

Coming this weekend on SKY PPV

Boxing fans have the chance to watch a good boxing event tomorrow, as the current WBO world middleweight champion Billy Joe Saunders travels to Quebec to face David Lemieux at the Place Bell in Laval.

Saunders is staking his undefeated record once again, whose speed has served him well in his previous three title defenses, his latest being a 12-round victory over Billie Monroe Jr back in September to extend his streak to 25 fights without a blemish.

Lemieux is hoping his homefield advantage proves vital in regaining a middleweight title. The heavy-hitter lost his IBF title to Gennady Golovkin back in 2015, and is raring to be back in the title scene as a champion.

The stakes are high in this matchup, as it could potentially yield a future title fight against either Canelo Alvarez and Golovkin.

Fans can check out Saunders vs Lemieux on Sky Sports Pay-Per-View for just PhP 99. Details are on www.mysky.com.ph/boxingppv. One can also contact 418-0000 or your local Sky office to subscribe.

December NBA Marathon for ABS-CBN Sports revealed

NBA on S+A

ABS-CBN Sports has revealed that starting on December 15, the NBA will be shown virtually everyday on either ABS-CBN Channel 2 or on S+A for the remainder of 2017, starting with the 7am telecast of the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Los Angeles Lakers on December 15.

The highlight of the holiday marathon of the NBA on ABS-CBN is the Christmas Day matchup between the Cavs and the defending champions, the Golden State Warriors, which will be shown LIVE on December 26 at 4am. Last year, the Cavs managed to defeat the Warriors on a Kyrie Irving game-winner.

In addition, ABS-CBN will also show the Warriors against the Lakers on December 19 at 1130am. That game is significant since this is the day that the Lakers will be holding its jersey retirement night for both Kobe Bryant numbers, 8 and 24.

The final day of the Holiday NBA marathon will have the Memphis Grizzlies against the Golden State Warriors on December 31 at 930am on S+A.

Here are the games that comprise the December NBA marathon on ABS-CBN.

December 15: Los Angeles Lakers at Cleveland Cavaliers 9am
December 16: Oklahoma City Thunder at Philadelphia 76ers 8am
December 17: Los Angeles Clippers at Miami Heat 9am
December 18: Cleveland Cavaliers at Washington Wizards 7am
December 19: Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Lakers 1130am
December 20: Cleveland Cavaliers at Milwaukee Bucks 9am
December 21 Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors 1130am
December 22: Boston Celtics at New York Knicks 9am
December 23: New Orleans Pelicans at Orlando Magic 8am
December 24: Los Angeles Clippers at Memphis Grizzlies 9am
December 26: Cleveland Cavaliers at Golden State Warriors 4am
December 27: Brooklyn Nets at San Antonio Spurs 930am
December 28: Utah Jazz at Golden State Warriors 1130am
December 29: Houston Rockets at Boston Celtics 9am
December 30: Houston Rockets at Washington Wizards 8am
December 31: Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors


Make sure to continue to check out ABS-CBN Sports' coverage of the NBA on sports.abs-cbn.com/nba, as well as their official hashtags #NBAonABSCBN and #NBASabaDOS.

Kix to showcase Asian MMA on December Tuesdays

Coming Soon to Kix: Asian MMA Tuesdays.

Filipinos are considered to have one of the more passionate fans of mixed martial arts in the world, and they would have another venue to check out quality action on this month, thanks to the ultimate destination for action entertainment, Kix.

For December, Tuesday night is MMA night on Kix, as fans would be able to check out the Asian scene with a couple of new and exclusive programming in the form of Kunlun Fighting MMA and the Road Fighting Championship, also known as Road FC.

The latter is a Korean MMA promotion that involves reknowned Korean and international fighters. Kix is going to show a couple of its spine-tingling MMA events for the first two Tuesdays of the month: Road FC 037 XX on December 5, and the premiere of Road FC 43 on December 12.

Road FC 037 XX is an all-female MMA event, with the main feature being Jin-Hee Kang facing Raika Emiko in a flyweight bout.

Road FC 43, on the other hand, took place at the Jangching Arena in Seoul and has old rivals Kim Hoon and Choi Young duking it out for the interim middleweight title.

Established in 2014, Kunlun Fighting MMA provides fans a good snapshot of the Chinese MMA scene, especially since they added notable international kickboxing and MMA stars onto their roster. For the final two Tuesdays of December, Kix will showcase Kunlun Fighting MMA 14 on December 19, and Kunlun Fighting MMA 15 on December 26.

Kunlun Fighting MMA 14 will feature Weili Zhang against Marilia Santos for the 115-pound women's championship, while Rodrigo Caporal and Lipeng Zhang for the 170-pound title serves as the main event for Kunlun Fighting MMA 15.

All of these MMA programs will be shown on Kix at 10pm, so make sure to check it out on your respective cable channels. (31 on Cablelink, 264 on Cignal, 10 on Destiny, 117 on Gsat, 63 on SKYCable). SKYCable also has an HD version of this on 242.

S+A set to showcase Premier League, La Liga, tonight

The Reds vs Brighton tonight

The long awaited return of top-class English, Spanish, and continental club football to free television kicks in tonight, with the start of Premier League coverage on S+A tonight.

The first match on tap features Brighton against Liverpool at 11pm, followed by the matchup between Arsenal and Manchester United at 125am.

Newly-promoted Brighton attempts to put the shackles on the Reds at the Amex Stadium, who newly acquired striker Mo Salah and his twelve goals lead the league.

Meanwhile, the Gunners and the Red Devils once again clash in one of the biggest matchups of the season. Arsene Wenger and his crew are looking to defend the Emirates Stadium against Jose Mourinho and his squad.

As for La Liga, S+A coverage begins on December 3, with Athletic Bilbao hosting Real Madrid at the San Mames Stadium at 340am. Meanwhile, Getafe and Valencia square off at the Coliseum Alfonso Perez at 1110pm. Of course, the most anticipated matchup between rivals Real Madrid and Barcelona will be shown LIVE on December 23.

Filipino footbal fans could potentially see this guy twice this week.

And for the UEFA Champions League, S+A coverage begins on December 6, as football powerhouses Bayern Munich face Paris Saint-Germain at the Allianz Stadium at 340am, with Borussia Dortmund visiting Real Madrid at the Santiago Bernabeu.

These set of matches kick off the partnership between ABS-CBN Integrated Sports and HK-based holdings company Triple CH, which brings top-quality European club football to free television here in the Philippines.