The Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) is looking to improve its social media outlets and will soon introduce a new digital apps in an effort to reach out to more Filipino basketball fans at home and anywhere in the world.
Even PBA fans riding in buses, jeepneys and trains are on the PBA radar.
The league takes new avenues under new league chairman Mikee Romero, the GlobalPort team owner and 1Pacman party list representative in Congress.
“Look at the NBA, the NFL and baseball’s Major League. They’re all heading to China which is a hundred million market. For us, I think we have to broaden our base by trying to reach our OFWs. People in buses, jeepneys and in LRT watch video livestream. We have to tap those markets,” said Romero Thursday in the second of a five-day leagues’ annual planning session which ended last Nov. 6 in The Plaza, Seoulk, South Korea.
“The PBA has become like a rollercoaster, sometimes experiencing stagnancy. It’s not gaining phenomenal rise. We have to prime it, and I think social media are means. We should stretch out our hands and open new avenues,” Romero added.
PBA Commissioner Chito Narvasa said some apps are already in place and they will try to boost it. “Sabi nga ni chairman [Romero] andyan na yan. I-push nyo na ng husto,” said Narvasa.
“We’ve actually started it, and it shows that the popularity of the PBA is really high. When I came in, our Facebook fan page had 1.5 million followers. It’s now 3.2 million. Our Twitter followers have increased from 100,000 to 250,000 and our Instagram page followers have increased to 152,000 from 300,000,” Narvasa added.
“The question now is how do you monetized that. The answer is there. We just have to sit down and we’ll find the answer,” Narvasa also said.
Narvasa said they are in the process on improving the league’s own website. “The present generation is very impatient. They want to know right away what’s going on,” the PBA chief noted.
Romero explained that they are currently assessing the financial aspect of the proposal as they look to further the global promotion of Asia’s first play-for-pay loop.
“I was asking the commissioner, how much is our money. I want our social media, PBA apps to get a higher budget. I want our games seen live around the world through the net,” he said.