A new player has entered the court.
According to sources familiar to the matter, Cignal TV, the pay TV operator owned by MediaQuest Holdings, Inc. of Manny Pangilinan, has entered the fray in the ongoing race to get the broadcast rights to the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA).
The company, which also holds the rights to the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP), among other sporting properties, has presented its letter of intent to the NCAA board last June 20—signifying its interest in the country’s oldest collegiate-level league.
It will also somehow mark a homecoming of sorts for the league, as Cignal’s sister free-to-air network TV5 previously aired the NCAA through its flagship channel 5, AKTV on IBC-13, and Aksyon TV on channel 41 between 2012 and 2015.
Prior to that, already revealed to be looking to get the rights to the NCAA are other broadcasters, led by the Bilyonaryo News Channel (BNC)—which is the first to express feelers for the league following the end of its five-year deal with GMA Network.
BNC, which launched in September 2024, is looking to make the collegiate tournament as its prized jewel in the sports category, as the channel is currently filled with news and public affairs, as well as lifestyle programs.
ABS-CBN, which previously held the rights prior to the dissolution of its sports division in light of its franchise debacle in 2020, is also said to be in the running, as well as Solar Sports.
Government TV networks PTV and IBC, as well as NET25 were even reported to have expressed interest at one point.
All signs now point to both BNC and Cignal being the top players in contention, with the broadcast partner set to be formally announced by the NCAA Management Committee in July.
Before moving forward, here is a look back on the NCAA’s five-year stint with the Kapuso Network.
It was back in November 2020 when GMA confirmed that it has signed a broadcast deal with the NCAA after its previous partner, ABS-CBN, closed its sports division due to the non-renewal of its franchise.
Major NCAA games in athletics, aquatics, volleyball, and basketball then began airing on GTV in 2021, with select men’s basketball championships in its earlier years airing on the flagship GMA channel 7.
Eventually, that was tweaked, with the television setup being arranged that both GTV and Heart of Asia channels carrying the games, which were also made available online via GMA Network’s website and social media pages, as well as abroad via GMA Pinoy TV and GMA News TV.
