source: gmanews.tv
The Japeth Aguilar controversy and the Wynne Arboleda incident may have further stirred interest into the 35th season of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
It’s only been a week into the KFC-Philippine Cup and yet Asia’s pioneer professional league already recorded major turnarounds in both gate receipts and attendance.
Figures made available showed a 55.78 percent increase in sales during the Oct. 11 opener, which also hit a remarkable 108.45 percent increase in attendance compared to the same period of last year’s Philippine Cup.
The astounding records were made on a week the 6-foot-9 Aguilar was inexplicably shipped by Burger King in a three-way trade that resulted in the former Western Kentucky University stalwart’s inclusion in the RP-Smart Gilas team, and Arboleda being banned for the entire season following an attack on a fan at ringside.
Fans’ interest on Aguilar added curiosity to the lone opening game between the Whopper and the Purefoods Giants, which recorded sales of P988,730, up from last year’s opener of P634,687.
Attendance during the match was pegged at 7,594, surpassing the 3,643 that showed up when the 2008-09 Philippine Cup kicked off.
The TJ Giants won the lone opening game, 93-80, marking the first and last time Aguilar, drafted as the top rookie pick of the year, donned a Whopper uniform.
After a week of action in the All-Filipino tournament, the league posted sales of P2,850,665, surpassing the P1,942,694 Asia’s first play for pay league earned during the same stretch last season.
The figures showed a 46.74 percent increase in sales for the entire playing week.
Likewise, attendance improved to 28,133 from 15,086 – a tremendous increase of 86.52 percent.
A banner crowd at the Araneta Coliseum showed up for the rematch of last year’s Fiesta Cup protagonists San Miguel and Barangay Ginebra and the Sunday encounter between the Kings and the Purefoods Giants.
So far, average attendance per game is at 7,035, an 86.52 percent turnaround from the 3.772 recorded last year.
“We’re very thankful and grateful to all the basketball fans who continue to support your PBA come hell or high water," said PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios.
“In return we promise to provide with exiting and thrilling games throughout that year."
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“We’re very thankful and grateful to all the basketball fans who continue to support your PBA come hell or high water," said PBA commissioner Sonny Barrios.
“In return we promise to provide with exiting dirty thrilling games and players mauling fans and players hurting other players throughout that year."
Credit also goes to the inclusion of Smart-Gilas
SMART gilas was the main attraction in the PBA
LOL... Pilitin ba? Sige na nga,, kung walang Smart Gilas walang PBA lol
HINDI RIN. DAHIL sa GINeBRa Games yan! hehe
INDEED... CONTROVERSY CREATES CASH!
Basta BGK game, tumatabo ang PBA.
Yeah credit goes to SMART GILAS!
Dyan magaling ang PBA, mag stir ng issues, hype at controversies, pero ang quality ng Basketball di na nag-improve, instead pumapangit pa ang quality ng games especially when a team like Burger King Whoopers has players committing four (4) flagrant fouls in a row then physically hurting fans.
Kung totoo man na nag-improve ang sales ng PBA its because of SMART GILAS!
mas aangat yan kung primetime ang game na smart gilas tapos live pa.
Puro kayo Gilas. Dalawa na nga talo nyang Gilas nyo. Malamang may magrereact na naman dyan. Ahaha. They maybe the best what the amateur league can offer pero still the PBA has the best players this country can offer. Given the money and program which Smart Philippines is backing up that Gilas Team, a PBA All Pro Team can take us back to the Olympics. Masyado lang kayong pinapaasa ng Gilas na yan ahahaha
Hay naku ngsilabasan na nmn mga SMART-Hilas fans. tsk tsk...Smart Hilas team takot sa PBA Teams of physical game, ano nalang kaya kng nasa Labas na ng Bansa. tsk tsk. 3yrs ang contract ng SMART-HILAS team with an average height of 6'4..tsk tsk. tapos tapat mo sa average height ng mga kalaban na 6'9. (SMART-HILAS Fans note this, cant teach basketball with height).
haha. yung mga nag popost ng SMART Hilas eh baka mga pakawala ng PBA yan o baka sila mismo tolits alvarez ng popost. eh amateur pa sila eh kumpara sa mga angas na players ng PBA. after 1 year baka pulbusin na lang yang mga PBA teams. di nga kaya yung singapore slingers SMART GILAS lang nakatalo.
The replay of CS9 of SMART Gilas games are crazy. They say that it will start at 11:30PM but last night it started Past Midnight.
To make things worse at around 1:00AM they still had a 30 minute documentary on SMART Gilas for half time. At around 1:30AM i just slept already.
Please try to make the games earlier or at least do not start late and forego the prolonged half time show. Just put the documentary at the end for those who still want to watch it.
ay sus sa simula lang yan. boring na ang games pag nasa middle of the tournament na
Anonymous// october 22, 2009 9:20AM
Smart Gilas lang nakatalo sa slingers? wala ba kayong TV. search mo sa Net. pg yan nakita ang post mo. taga Barangay mgrereact jan. tsk tsk. Torjack is out