NCAA to wait for ABS-CBN's action after House junks franchise bid


The NCAA will be waiting for the action of its broadcast partner ABS-CBN regarding the remaining years of their contract following the decision of the House to junk the franchise bid of the media giant. (REUTERS File Photo)

NCAA Management Committee chairman Fr. Vic Calvo said Friday the league would wait for the action its broadcast partner ABS-CBN would take with regards to the remaining years of their contract.

“We’ll wait for them on what they’ll do moving forward, or after the (congress) decision; what are their plans and options now,” said Calvo when contacted by Manila Bulletin.

Congress denied 11 legislative measures proposing to grant a fresh 25-year legislative franchise for giant network ABS-CBN Corporation as 70 voted against the franchise bid and 11 in favor.

On May 4, the company’s 25-year congressional franchise expired, halting its operations. The House legislative franchise panel chaired by Palawan Rep. Franz Alvarez arrived at the decision after a 12-day joint hearing with the Committee on Good Government.

Calvo said the NCAA signed a 10-year deal with ABS-CBN prior to the 91st Season, or during the school years 2015 and 2016.

But due to the coronavirus pandemic, the NCAA was forced to push the opening of Season 96 to March of next year with Letran as host, instead of the regular opening month of July like in previous years.

Aside from that, only four traditional sports disciplines will be calendared -- basketball, volleyball, swimming and track and field, for Season 96.

Calvo said that any forthcoming decision will be up to the Policy Board, with the MANCOM only making recommendations. Since the issue involves a live contract with the broadcast company, he said a legal team will be on hand to help them with steps to take from here.

“We have a good relationship with ABS-CBN, that’s why – as I’ve mentioned – we’ll wait for them,” he said.

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