Summit Sports mulls TRO vs PBA

Summit Sports World Inc. is reportedly seeking a temporary restraining order (TRO) to stop the transfer of the exclusive PBA broadcasting rights from the NBN-4/IBC-13 consortium to ABC-5, but PBA officials are unperturbed, believing they went through the proper course in severing ties with their old "TV coveror."

PBA officials heard reports of Summit Sports’ planned move after the league formally sealed its deal with the Associated Broadcasting Company Friday morning, making the Tonyboy Cojuangco-owned network the league’s new broadcasting partner.

"Ano naman ang hahabulin nila (Summit Sports) sa amin?" said an amazed PBA commissioner Noli Eala.

"I have three points in this matter. First, we had no direct deal with them. Second, they had no right whatsoever with our television deals. Third, eh kami nga ang nalugi," said Eala.

Summit Sports came into the picture in the previous deal as the NBN-IBC consortium’s bridge financier in the project.

But NBN-4 chairperson Mia Concio said Summit Sports failed to honor its obligation, causing the termination of their supposed P670-million, three-year pact with the PBA.

"I haven’t heard that report. But maybe they want to keep the project to have the chance to recover," said Concio.

The NBN-4 top honcho said she had never received any correspondence from Summit Sports since they got a stay order from the Pasay City Regional Trial Court last December, preventing them from making any collection from Summit Sports or their advertisers.

"I think the stay order is good for us. With that, we have a venue to voice our demands. But for the TRO, I don’t see how they can swing that when they don’t have direct deal with the PBA," said Concio.

Concio said all the documents in their botched PBA project are now with the Office of the Government Corporate Counsels as they’re mulling legal actions to be taken against Summit Sports.

"We don’t only lose money but the chance to recover and the potential to earn. Ang masama pa nito kami ang gumawa ng trabaho, kami ang naiwan sa project hanggang huli and we’re getting all the flaks," said Concio.

According to Concio, Summit Sports owes NBN-4 roughly P50 million and IBC-13 P70 million in airtime fee.

And that’s apart from the P156 million they owe the PBA. But Concio reiterated they have assigned collectibles amounting to P90 million to the PBA.

After they failed to settle their arrears with the PBA until Dec. 31, the league board of governors decided to rescind the contract with the NBN-IBC consortium.

Meanwhile, Alaska Milk’s contract-extension negotiation with John Arigo hit a snag as the two parties couldn’t agree on the length of their new deal.

Alaska offered the monthly maximum pay of P350,000 for the next three years but the Fil-Am guard wanted seven years with the same amount of monthly take.

"He told us he’ll look for other options first. We said okay and just return if you’ve already got an offer from another team. We’ll see if we can match it or not," said Alaska team manager Joaqui Trillo.