SOLAR Sports, which paid a whopping P40 million for the TV rights for Manny Pacquiao’s showdown with undefeated but unknown Mexican featherweight Jorge Solis at the Alamodome in San Antonio, Texas, will telecast the April 14 fight card on GMA-7.
Viva Sports/Standard Today learned that Solar officials had finalized details with officials of GMA Network on Monday and an official announcement is expected within a day or two. The fight will be replayed on RPN-9, where Solar Sports has a major blocktime agreement.
GMA-7 is locked in a fierce battle for the ratings with the Lopez-owned broadcast giant ABS-CBN, which had previously invested heavily on Pacquiao’s fights, including putting up $4 million for his showdown with Oscar Larios at the Araneta Coliseum last year.
ABS-CBN clearly benefited from a ratings bonanza with their investment in boxing, which apparently caused concern in the GMA-7 ranks, prompting the tie-up with Solar Sports for the Pacquiao-Solis fight.
Losing the rights to the Pacquiao-Solis fight to Solar Sports, which also reportedly paid Pacquiao another P20 million for theater, cable and other ancillary rights in the Philippines, was a bitter blow for ABS-CBN, which apparently refused to give into Pacquiao’s demands for a P40-million rights fee.
The fee, according to Pacquiao, would help him in his bid for a congressional seat in South Cotabato.
Although Pacquiao’s lawyer, Franklin “Jing” Gacal, said the report of a P40-million TV rights fee was a mere rumor, Pacquiao’s friend and boxing manager/promoter Rex “Wakee” Salud confirmed the figure in a conversation with Philboxing.com.
In another development, Viva Sports/Standard Today was informed that Solar Sports had also acquired the rights for the new season of the Philippine Basketball League, which was previously telecast by ABS-CBN on Studio 23.
The PBL games will be telecast on the Basketball Channel of Solar Sports, which also carries extensive coverage of the National Basketball Association games.
