For season 47 of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA), which begins on June 5, the league will revert to a three-conference system.
The league is mandatory to limit its conferences over the last two seasons because of the epidemic. Still, PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas says it is returning to its more traditional schedule as things begin to normalize.
“For Season 47, we’re returning to three conferences,” Vargas stated in an online press conference following the board of governors’ planning session over the weekend.
Vargas is hopeful that the league will be able to recoup the financial losses sustained when it was mandatory to suspend live games during the pandemic’s peak.
“We lost approximately P100 million during the pandemic, and our cash flow was affected,” he explained.
“Itong 46th season, tayo naka-two conferences. We earned approximately P48.8 million, which is not terrible. That is quite encouraging news for us. Our cash flow has improved, which is a good thing.”
The PBA hosted the Philippine Cup in a bubble environment at Clark Freeport in Pampanga in 2020.
The following season, the two conferences establish. There were also lockdowns in the Philippine Cup and Governors Cup.
“We anticipate spending close to P300 million to deliver three conferences. We’re aiming for P500 million in revenue, which means we’re looking at a net profit of P180 million to P200 million to make up for what we lost in season 45, “Vargas stated.
The PBA chairman stated that despite the losses, the league could still pay its employees’ salaries and cover operational expenses.
“Tuloy-tuloy ang pasweldo sa empleyado at pagbayad ng rental and everything else. Our executives oversaw the management of our funds “‘He stated.
PBA Commissioner Willie Marcial, for his part, put up the schedule for the three-conference season.
He stated that the Philippine Cup would take place from June 5 to September 2, followed by the SEA Games.
The Commissioner’s Cup will begin one month later, on October 2, and run until January 25 of the following year. The league will then compete in the East Asia Super League on a home-and-away basis.
The Governors’ Cup, which begins on February 1 and concludes on May 10, will cap the conference. The conference will include games against teams from other cities and the usual All-Star celebrations.
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