EMBARKING ON A new era, the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) signed a two-season broadcast agreement with Cignal TV on July 15 at the PLDT Ramon Cojuangco Building in Makati City, returning its television rights to the MVP/MediaQuest group for the two upcoming seasons.
The deal brings an end to the NCAA’s five-year partnership with GMA Network and reunites the league with the University Athletic Association of the Philippines (UAAP) under the MediaQuest umbrella for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. With the UAAP also being broadcast by Cignal, the country’s two leading collegiate leagues are once again sharing the same media platform.
GMA Network ended its NCAA coverage following Season 101, with its final telecast featuring the Women’s Volleyball finals. The search for a new broadcast partner began soon after, with Bilyonaryo News Channel (BNC) becoming the first network to present its proposal before the NCAA Management Committee (ManCom) last June 9 at the Philippine Columbian Association (PCA). ABS-CBN, Net25, and the state-run People’s Television Network (PTV) also expressed interest in acquiring the broadcast rights.
Although Cignal entered the bidding later than its competitors, formally submitting its letter of intent on June 20, the network ultimately secured the rights for the next two seasons.
MediaQuest Holdings Inc. Chairman Manuel V. Pangilinan, who signed the agreement on behalf of Cignal, said the network had long hoped to bring the NCAA into its lineup of sports properties, welcoming the league to its “new home.” Pangilinan also serves as the Chairman of the Board of Trustees and is an alumnus of Season 102 host school San Beda University (SBU).
SBU Rector-President and NCAA Philippines Policy Board President Rev. Fr. Aloysius Ma. Maranan, O.S.B., emphasized that the partnership hopes to “strengthen Philippine sports,” underscoring the league’s confidence that the agreement will expand its reach to Filipino audiences.
Also present during the signing were MediaQuest Holdings Inc. President and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Ricky Vargas, and MediaQuest Chief Financial Officer (CFO) and Cignal Officer-in-Charge (OIC) Christopher Lizo, along with the officials from the NCAA and its member schools.
Under the agreement, seniors basketball, women’s volleyball, and the cheerleading competition will air live on RPTV, One Sports, and Cignal Play’s YouTube channel, while the league’s remaining sporting events will be covered through the network’s digital and social media platforms.
With the broadcast partnership now in place, attention turns to NCAA Season 102, which will be hosted by SBU under the theme “Strive. Believe. Unite.” The season is set to tip off on September 13 at the SM Mall of Asia (MOA) Arena, marking the beginning of a new era for the league as it debuts on Cignal’s platforms.