Fans boost PBA earnings to P21 million

MANILA, Philippines - The current PBA Philippine Cup Final Four has drawn a whopping average gate receipt of P1.1 million in four game days, boosting the league’s season running total to P21 million -- an indication that the PBA is off to another banner year.

Gate sale and attendance are up from last year’s semifinals and entire playoff averages, and PBA commissioner Chito Salud believes this is the positive result of their decision to hold less elimination-round games and more playoff matches.

“At the end of the season, we will see the numbers. We’ll get the averages per game and we’ll see if we have tickled the imagination of the fans with the three conferences and the different format. But I maintain my belief that more playoff games is more attractive to the fans,” said Salud.

“Let the figures speak for themselves. Let’s look at the average. So far we’re ahead from the previous seasons, and I hope the trend continues,” Salud added.

The current semifinals, featuring defending champion B-MEG Derby Ace versus Talk n Text and Barangay Ginebra against San Miguel, has attracted average gate attendance of 11,300, eclipsing the average of 8,900 through six game days in the same stage of all-Filipino conference last year.

Last year’s all-Filipino semis featured San Miguel versus Purefoods and Ginebra against Alaska.                                                            

Last Wednesday’s games drew a crowd of over 13,000 and Sunday’s tussles attracted over 17,000.

“We could have easily hit over 20,000 but the Araneta Coliseum management pegged a limit to avoid possible disaster,” said PBA media bureau chief Willy Marcial.

“Overall in gate receipts, we’re up from at least last season. Commissioner Salud gave credit to the league board for its decision to go back to the three-conference format and adopt a new tournament format,” Marcial added.

Former commissioner Sonny Barrios also batted for the three-conference format. He had just stepped down when the board approved the shift.

Through the same number of game days last season, the PBA collected P17 million compared to P21 million at present.

Another sellout crowd is expected tomorrow when the Llamados and the Tropang Texters break their 2-2 standoff while the Kings look to square up with the Beermen after four games.

Ginebra just won’t fall to a 0-3 hole, coming out strong to get back to life against the favored San Miguel side last Sunday.

Egged on by their huge cheering fans at the Big Dome, the Kings established control early, led by as many as 25 in the second quarter and roared on to a 95-78 win that reduced the Beermen’s lead to 2-1 in the best-of-seven series.

Derby Ace, meanwhile, sprang back strong from its seven-point defeat the last time out, seizing control early before holding off Talk n Text’s late charge for a 98-93 win, also last Sunday.

James Yap, PJ Simon, Nino Canaleta, Rico Maierhofer and Marc Pingris rose to the occasion as the Llamados once again rebounded from a loss and forced a two-game-all standoff in their own series.