When the broadcast of the much-ballyhooed dream match was finally started on GMA-7 at 1:05 p.m., most Filipinos tuned in to the boob tube no longer in excited anticipation of finding out the outcome of the fight. The result of the match was already all over the Internet and was already being passed on from one cell phone to another through SMS.
And as if to spite GMA-7 which bagged the exclusive rights to broadcast the fight, ABS-CBN pulled the rug under by announcing the results through a streaming advisory that accompanied its regular programming.
There are of course those who think that awareness of the outcome already diminishes the value of the viewing experience; they are the people who hate spoilers. There?s certainly less anticipation and excitement when one already knows how something is going to end. But I?m sure that when it comes to things where national pride and honor seem at stake, being aware of the outcome also brings a new dimension into the viewing experience.
