The Filipinas’ games will be aired on local TV after all.—CONTRIBUTED PHOTO
There was widespread celebration on sports-related social media platforms after Cignal TV announced that it had secured the rights to broadcast the Philippine women’s football team’s debut appearance in the Fifa Women’s World Cup on free television.
The last-minute deal, which saved local sports fans from the disappointment of not being able to watch the Filipinas on the most accessible medium, had been in the works for several weeks.
“We acknowledge the demand of Filipinos for this quadrennial event, and at Cignal TV, we always strive to provide the best experience to all our viewers,” said Jane Basas, president and CEO of Cignal TV.
The three group stage matches against Switzerland on July 21, cohost New Zealand on July 25, and Norway on July 30 will be broadcast on UHF channel One Sports and streamed on the new Pilipinas Live app.
This agreement should satisfy local sports fans who were angered weeks ago when it was revealed that no Philippine broadcaster was seriously negotiating for the World Cup rights.
Fifa’s preference for a larger deal had also put the broadcast of the World Cup games at risk in some parts of Europe and Japan, although the governing body reached agreements with those parties a few weeks ago.
As it turns out, Fifa fell short by one-third of its goal to reach a total rights fee of $300 million, according to a report from the Wall Street Journal.
“Cignal stepped up and ensured that the Filipinas’ historic campaign will be available in the Philippines,” said Mariano “Nonong” Araneta, president of the Philippine Football Federation.
The TV deal was announced on the same day that the Filipinas lost 5-1 to Sweden in a friendly match in Wellington, a game that no one outside of the teams was able to watch.
In fact, the team revealed that coach Alen Stajcic did not discuss the details of the match, not even how the lone Philippine goal was scored. INQ
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Denial of responsibility! Vigour Times is an automatic aggregator of Global media. In each content, the hyperlink to the primary source is specified. All trademarks belong to their rightful owners, and all materials to their authors. For any complaint, please reach us at – [email protected]. We will take necessary action within 24 hours.
