A matter of survival

WITH professional sports now being played, or are in the process of getting off the ground—premier Volleyball League (PVL) and the Professional Chess Association of the Philippines—the challenges are only beginning.

While speaking to Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) Commissioner Willie Marcial, I posed the question about the lost revenue in terms of gate receipts as well as merchandise sales from game day. He said it is a concern. I inquired about the possible loosening of rules on competitive brands advertising their wares during telecasts, he said he will see if it can be tabled once more.

For quite some time now, the top clubs in the pro basketball league hardly advertise during game day. That is because they believe their sports team are all the sufficient advertising they will need.

The PBA has tried to get non-competitive brands in for years and they have been successful to a point. But it hasn’t been easy. More so now, in this pandemic and more competition for eyeballs in terms of other sports leagues and other offerings such as streaming sites.

If we cast our eyes towards the PVL, the loss in gate receipts is huge for them. They usually get a large live audience.

I am not sure that the PVL or any other sports body can negotiate concessions for a non-live audience because that is not in the purview of any broadcast partner. Why should it, after all? Pay-per-view? Given the hits people have largely taken in terms of their earnings? I don’t think so.

The loss of revenue from the gate receipts is only one. You can add the economic viability of the clubs.

If you look volleyball, the question is... how can there be stability for the clubs? A return of investment? Not every club has a backer with deep pockets. Didn’t a few clubs ask to cut down their salaries due to the pandemic? I think that the powers that be should really try to come up with guidelines for volleyball that seems to be the wild west at the moment. How viable is the sport anyways? I’d say the jury is still out on that. Imagine the challenges of professional chess that isn’t a big spectator sport to begin with.

I think that the governing bodies of sports should really sit down and figure out how to make sports economically viable in this pandemic. While there is news about a vaccine making the rounds, until it is proven that it really does work and this is cascaded all over the world, then sports will remain spectator-less with its related industries such as merchandising, food and concessionaires, and tours all taking a hit.

Should this pandemic go one for another year or so, then economically, that would be even worse.

This time is actually a good time to really set guidelines because local sports in spite of regulations from the Games and Amusements Board is really haphazard. There are too many rule changes, the faux sense of amateurism, and well, not enough of an audience for everyone. Survival... after all... is the name of the game now.