 |
If TV ratings will also be used as a gauge in measuring the rising popularity of the MPBL, we can say that the MPBL is taking away viewership from the PBA. As a matter of fact, the game 2 of the recently concluded Championship series between the San Juan Knights and Davao Occidental Tigers last April 13, 2019 earned a rating of 6.6% which is higher compared to the 5.1% rating of the semifinals game of the PBA on that day. Moreover, ABS-CBN rode on the increasing adoration for the MPBL by inviting players of the San Juan Knights in the highly popular noontime show It's Showtime and on the morning show Umagang Kay Ganda.
Perhaps what makes the MPBL well loved by Filipino basketball fans is its competitive and exciting games. If you watch the games, there's never a dull moment because the participating squads are more or less evenly matched. In other words, there's no glaring imbalance between the level of talent and skills among the participating teams. Thus, it's difficult to predict who will win until the very last buzzer sounds.
It also helps that the players competing in the MPBL come from diverse backgrounds. There are fresh college graduates from the UAAP, NCAA, NAASCU, CeSAFI and other college leagues who want to gain experience first in the MPBL to increase their stock before declaring themselves available in the PBA draft. Then there are the "ligang labas" heroes who want to display their talent on national TV, and hopefully be signed by PBA teams. Lastly, the MPBL provides a second chance for experienced veterans seeking a second chance to resurrect their careers or to cement their legacy. Whatever reasons they may have, these players give whatever it takes just in the court just to win.
Without a doubt, the MPBL is a melting pot of basketball talents. A stepping stone for young players and a sanctuary for the veterans and the unheralded ones. But amidst all of the attention the league is getting, one big question remains.
Can the MPBL sustain the league perpetually?
Because once upon a time, the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) was also the talk of the town in its early years. It was poised to overtake the PBA at that time as the premier basketball league but financial issues eventually caught up. As expenses became too unbearable, ABS-CBN pulled the plug which led to the demise of the MBA.
We sure hope that the MPBL will not suffer the same fate. The only way for it to avoid closing shop few years down the road is to ensure that the league is profitable.
The MPBL does not release publicly its financial statements so there is no way for us to study how much it is earning or losing. So we did a little research to find out if the said league is financially healthy enough to last for many years.
MPBL is a blocktimer in ABS-CBN S+A
In order to understand the financials of the MPBL, it is important to know the arrangement between ABS-CBN and MPBL. For those who are not aware, the production of MPBL games is handled by ALV Events International which is chaired by Mr. Arnold Vegafria. This is the reason why we don't see the commentators or courtside reporters of UAAP or NCAA games covering the MPBL games. It is also the same reason why the staff don't wear S+A shirts or uniforms when commentating or reporting.
Under a blocktime agreement, the blocktimer pays a fixed fee to the TV network corresponding to the number of hours it blocked off. It will be the blocktimer who will produce its own shows subject to the guidelines of the TV network, and also to solicit corporate advertisers on the said shows or programs. As a result, the blocktimer bears the financial risk should it fail to close enough advertising deals to finance its airtime. Conversely, the blocktimer pockets all the gains if ever its programs become very popular and can thus attract several advertisers.
Currently, the most popular blocktime programs are Eat Bulaga of TAPE, Inc and Wowowin of Willie Revillame both aired by GMA. Evidently, a blocktime arrangement works as long as the program appeals to a large base of viewers and it is able to attract a lot of advertisers.
How much does a blocktime cost?
The terms and conditions of the blocktime agreement between the MPBL and ABS-CBN S+A was not disclosed. The only way for us to estimate the said cost is to know the franchise fee for broadcasting games of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
In 2011, the PBA invited interested TV networks to bid for the right to broadcast its games for a contract period of five (5) years. At that time, the base franchise fee was set by PBA at P900 million for the said duration. Both ABS-CBN and ABC 5 sent their letter of intent but only ABC 5 submitted a bid because ABS-CBN pulled out of the competition due to certain provisions of the terms of reference that it deemed too restrictive. For instance, the competitive lockout provision prohibited the network from airing any commercial of companies that are directly competing with the products of PBA team. In the end, ABC 5 or what is known today as TV 5 won the contract to broadcast PBA games for five (5) years.
Now let's assume the contract price for the broadcast right was indeed P900 million for 5 years. But such was amount was quoted in 2011. If we take into account an average inflation rate of 2% from 2011, the P900 million is worth P1.054 billion today; thus, the going contract rate for broadcasting PBA games is roughly P211 million a year.
To get the equivalent rate per game, we divide the annual contract price of P211 million by the total PBA games in a year. Currently, there are 12 PBA teams that compete on a single-round robin elimination. As such, there will be 66 elimination matches. If we add the total games in the playoffs and assuming that each playoff series is decided up to the very last game, the total games will increase to 97 per conference. Since there are three (3) conferences per season, the total of games per year will then be 291 games.
Accordingly, the cost of broadcasting one PBA game will be P725,000 which is derived by dividing P211 million with 291 games. This is the figure that we will be using in our analysis.
Now that we know how much is the estimated cost of the airtime for broadcasting a basketball game, let's check if the MPBL generates enough advertising revenue to cover its cost.
MPBL earns from advertising revenues during its games
The large Television networks in the Philippines such as ABS-CBN and GMA earns their revenues by selling commercial ads airtime to companies. Similarly, the MPBL will need to convince small and large businesses to air their commercials during MPBL games in order to generate advertising revenues.
But how much does Philippine TV networks charge companies who put up TV commercials?
During a Senate Investigation focused on the alleged anomalous contract between the Department of Tourism and Bitag Media Unlimited who is a blocktimer in PTV 4, it was revealed that ABS-CBN charges P900,000 per 30-second ads placed on its non-primetime shows. If the same ad is aired during primetime, the rate will increase to P1,400,000 per 30-seconds.
Meanwhile, its rival network GMA 7 commands a lower rate at P299,000 for non-primetime and P500,000 for primetime 30-second ads. This is because GMA has a smaller market compared to ABS-CBN.
For the purpose of our analysis, we will assume that the rate charged by S+A is only 1/3 of the average of the primetime and non-primetime rate of GMA. Hence, we estimate that MPBL can charge P133,000 for every 30-second ads aired during MPBL games.
To have an idea how many ads does the MPBL air during its games, we actually monitored and listed all the commercial ads shown during game 3, 4, and 5 of the Championship series between the Knights and Tigers. See below the summary of the commercials and the estimated revenue earned from them.
GAME 3
GAME 4
GAME 5
Based on the above computations, the average advertising revenue per MPBL finals game is P2,424,500. Nonetheless, it must be taken into account that the average per game is high since what we measured is a finals game. Remember that during the elimination rounds, there are two (2) games that are played each night. But in the Finals, only one (1) game is played every night; hence, the number of advertisement was compressed into one game.
We therefore think that it is reasonable to assume that the MPBL earns roughly P2,424,500 every night of broadcasting two (2) matches. We compute the possible gross profit as follows:
TOTAL REVENUE: P2,424,500
AIRTIME COST: P1,450,000
Gross Revenue: P974,500
From the foregoing computation, it appears that the MPBL is able to recover the cost of airing its matches. Nevertheless, take note that the league will still need to pay the salaries of its broadcast crew such as the OB van team and cameramen. It also needs to pay remuneration of its league officials, referees, commentators, security personnel, and courtside reporters among others. We don't exactly know the details of every expenses of the MPBL so we can't tell if it is indeed making money or not.
But as we have shown here, we can say that the MPBL has the potential to generate advertising revenue. It needs to double its marketing efforts in order to attract large corporate sponsors because the only way for the league to survive for a very long time is to earn enough revenue to pay all of its expenses and of course to have profits that it can give to the franchise owners.
We wish the best for the MPBL.
Disclaimer: the numerical values above are based on educated estimates. We don't guarantee their accuracy so take them with a grain of salt.
Without a doubt, the MPBL is a melting pot of basketball talents. A stepping stone for young players and a sanctuary for the veterans and the unheralded ones. But amidst all of the attention the league is getting, one big question remains.
Can the MPBL sustain the league perpetually?
Because once upon a time, the Metropolitan Basketball Association (MBA) was also the talk of the town in its early years. It was poised to overtake the PBA at that time as the premier basketball league but financial issues eventually caught up. As expenses became too unbearable, ABS-CBN pulled the plug which led to the demise of the MBA.
We sure hope that the MPBL will not suffer the same fate. The only way for it to avoid closing shop few years down the road is to ensure that the league is profitable.
The MPBL does not release publicly its financial statements so there is no way for us to study how much it is earning or losing. So we did a little research to find out if the said league is financially healthy enough to last for many years.
MPBL is a blocktimer in ABS-CBN S+A
In order to understand the financials of the MPBL, it is important to know the arrangement between ABS-CBN and MPBL. For those who are not aware, the production of MPBL games is handled by ALV Events International which is chaired by Mr. Arnold Vegafria. This is the reason why we don't see the commentators or courtside reporters of UAAP or NCAA games covering the MPBL games. It is also the same reason why the staff don't wear S+A shirts or uniforms when commentating or reporting.
Under a blocktime agreement, the blocktimer pays a fixed fee to the TV network corresponding to the number of hours it blocked off. It will be the blocktimer who will produce its own shows subject to the guidelines of the TV network, and also to solicit corporate advertisers on the said shows or programs. As a result, the blocktimer bears the financial risk should it fail to close enough advertising deals to finance its airtime. Conversely, the blocktimer pockets all the gains if ever its programs become very popular and can thus attract several advertisers.
Currently, the most popular blocktime programs are Eat Bulaga of TAPE, Inc and Wowowin of Willie Revillame both aired by GMA. Evidently, a blocktime arrangement works as long as the program appeals to a large base of viewers and it is able to attract a lot of advertisers.
How much does a blocktime cost?
The terms and conditions of the blocktime agreement between the MPBL and ABS-CBN S+A was not disclosed. The only way for us to estimate the said cost is to know the franchise fee for broadcasting games of the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA).
In 2011, the PBA invited interested TV networks to bid for the right to broadcast its games for a contract period of five (5) years. At that time, the base franchise fee was set by PBA at P900 million for the said duration. Both ABS-CBN and ABC 5 sent their letter of intent but only ABC 5 submitted a bid because ABS-CBN pulled out of the competition due to certain provisions of the terms of reference that it deemed too restrictive. For instance, the competitive lockout provision prohibited the network from airing any commercial of companies that are directly competing with the products of PBA team. In the end, ABC 5 or what is known today as TV 5 won the contract to broadcast PBA games for five (5) years.
Now let's assume the contract price for the broadcast right was indeed P900 million for 5 years. But such was amount was quoted in 2011. If we take into account an average inflation rate of 2% from 2011, the P900 million is worth P1.054 billion today; thus, the going contract rate for broadcasting PBA games is roughly P211 million a year.
To get the equivalent rate per game, we divide the annual contract price of P211 million by the total PBA games in a year. Currently, there are 12 PBA teams that compete on a single-round robin elimination. As such, there will be 66 elimination matches. If we add the total games in the playoffs and assuming that each playoff series is decided up to the very last game, the total games will increase to 97 per conference. Since there are three (3) conferences per season, the total of games per year will then be 291 games.
Accordingly, the cost of broadcasting one PBA game will be P725,000 which is derived by dividing P211 million with 291 games. This is the figure that we will be using in our analysis.
Now that we know how much is the estimated cost of the airtime for broadcasting a basketball game, let's check if the MPBL generates enough advertising revenue to cover its cost.
MPBL earns from advertising revenues during its games
The large Television networks in the Philippines such as ABS-CBN and GMA earns their revenues by selling commercial ads airtime to companies. Similarly, the MPBL will need to convince small and large businesses to air their commercials during MPBL games in order to generate advertising revenues.
But how much does Philippine TV networks charge companies who put up TV commercials?
During a Senate Investigation focused on the alleged anomalous contract between the Department of Tourism and Bitag Media Unlimited who is a blocktimer in PTV 4, it was revealed that ABS-CBN charges P900,000 per 30-second ads placed on its non-primetime shows. If the same ad is aired during primetime, the rate will increase to P1,400,000 per 30-seconds.
Meanwhile, its rival network GMA 7 commands a lower rate at P299,000 for non-primetime and P500,000 for primetime 30-second ads. This is because GMA has a smaller market compared to ABS-CBN.
For the purpose of our analysis, we will assume that the rate charged by S+A is only 1/3 of the average of the primetime and non-primetime rate of GMA. Hence, we estimate that MPBL can charge P133,000 for every 30-second ads aired during MPBL games.
To have an idea how many ads does the MPBL air during its games, we actually monitored and listed all the commercial ads shown during game 3, 4, and 5 of the Championship series between the Knights and Tigers. See below the summary of the commercials and the estimated revenue earned from them.
GAME 3
| Game | Commercial | Air time | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 3 (1Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (1Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (1Q) | Casino 3-pt play of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (1Q) | Cobra Energy drink | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 3 (1Q) | Nippon Paint | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (1Q) | Go For Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (1Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Go For Gold | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Casino defensive play of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Go For Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Casino Ethyl Alcohol | Logo banner | 15,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Nippon Paint | Banner | 15,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Casino Insta presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | LGR | Logo Insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Casino Instant Replay | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | Casino Fastbreak of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Cobra Energy Drink | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Nippon Paint | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Cobra tunay na lakas move | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Cobra Energy Drink | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Nippon paint | 15 seconds | 66,500 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Go For Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (3Q) | Go for Gold Dunk of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Tanduay | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Casino Active Insta Presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Go For Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Cobra Energy Drink | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Go for Gold | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Nippon Paint | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Tanduay Shot of the game | In-game ad | 20,00 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Nippon Paint | Banner | 15,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Casino best scorer of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Cobra last 2 minutes | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Tanduay | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Casino Active insta presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 3 (4Q) | Go For Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 3 (2Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| TOTAL REVENUE | 2,403,500 |
GAME 4
| Game | Commercial | Air time | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 4 (1Q) | Casino 3-pt shot of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (1Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (1Q) | Casino offensive play of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (1Q) | Casino Active insta presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 4 (1Q) | Go for Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (1Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | Casino Ethyl Alcohol | Banner | 15,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | Nippon Paint | Banner | 15,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | Go For Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | Casino Instant replay | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | Nippon Paint | Banner | 15,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | Go for Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (2Q) | Powerade | Logo Insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Casino fastbreak of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Go for Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Tanduay 3-pt shot of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Jinggoy Estrada political ad | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Cobra Energy Drink | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Nippon Paint | 15 seconds | 66,500 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Go For Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Cobra strong move of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (3Q) | Nippon Paint | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Jinggoy Estrada political ad | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Cobra Energy Drink | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Go for Gold | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Nippon Paint | Banner | 15,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Jinggoy Estrada political ad | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Nippon Paint | 15 seconds | 66,500 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Tanduay | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Casino Active insta presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Casino Best Scorer of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Go for Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 4 (4Q) | Cobra Last 2 minutes | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| TOTAL REVENUE | 2,152,500 |
GAME 5
| Game | Commercial | Air time | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 5 (1Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (1Q) | Casino fastbreak of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (1Q) | Casino Active insta presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 5 (1Q) | Koko Pimentel political ad | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | Casino instant replay | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | Nippon Paint | Banner | 15,000 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | Casino Active insta presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | Casino 3-pt shot of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | Casino Replay | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | Koko Pimemtel political ad | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 5 (2Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Cobra Energy Drink | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Nippon Paint | 15 seconds | 66,500 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Koko Pimentel political ad | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Go for Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Cobra tunay na lakas move | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Tanduay | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 5 (3Q) | Casino Active insta presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Nippon Paint | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Cobra Energy Drink | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Go for Gold | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Koko Pimentel political ads | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | 24 Alkaline C | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Nippon Paint | 15 seconds | 66,500 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Tanduay | 30 seconds | 133,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Casino Active insta presko | 45 seconds | 199,500 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Go for Gold | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Casino Best Scorer of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Nippon Paint | Banner | 15,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Tanduay Shot of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | LGR | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Cobra last 2 minutes | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Nippon Paint | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Go for Gold drive of the game | In-game ad | 20,000 |
| Game 5 (4Q) | Powerade | Logo insert | 10,000 |
| TOTAL REVENUE | 2,717,500 |
Based on the above computations, the average advertising revenue per MPBL finals game is P2,424,500. Nonetheless, it must be taken into account that the average per game is high since what we measured is a finals game. Remember that during the elimination rounds, there are two (2) games that are played each night. But in the Finals, only one (1) game is played every night; hence, the number of advertisement was compressed into one game.
We therefore think that it is reasonable to assume that the MPBL earns roughly P2,424,500 every night of broadcasting two (2) matches. We compute the possible gross profit as follows:
TOTAL REVENUE: P2,424,500
AIRTIME COST: P1,450,000
Gross Revenue: P974,500
From the foregoing computation, it appears that the MPBL is able to recover the cost of airing its matches. Nevertheless, take note that the league will still need to pay the salaries of its broadcast crew such as the OB van team and cameramen. It also needs to pay remuneration of its league officials, referees, commentators, security personnel, and courtside reporters among others. We don't exactly know the details of every expenses of the MPBL so we can't tell if it is indeed making money or not.
But as we have shown here, we can say that the MPBL has the potential to generate advertising revenue. It needs to double its marketing efforts in order to attract large corporate sponsors because the only way for the league to survive for a very long time is to earn enough revenue to pay all of its expenses and of course to have profits that it can give to the franchise owners.
We wish the best for the MPBL.
Disclaimer: the numerical values above are based on educated estimates. We don't guarantee their accuracy so take them with a grain of salt.
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