The PBA is set to study the possibility of not only airing games in China but also stage an overseas match in the foreseeable future.
Commissioner Willie Marcial and top PBA officials are scheduled to leave for Changsha on Tuesday to meet with Mo Yanfei, president of the Hunan World Research Internet Company Limited.
Joining Marcial are PBA Chairman Ricky Vargas, board representative Alfrancis Chua of Barangay Ginebra San Miguel, marketing head Gelo Serrano and Bong Sta. Maria of the Philippine Global Network.
The initial goal is whether it can be possible for PBA matches to be shown in China which could give the league a wider reach.
“Maganda ito kung sakali dahil first time na mangyayari sa Philippine sports na mayroong channel na make-carry ng games sa China,” Marcial said as quoted by the PBA’s official website.
“At the same time, magiging closer ang liga sa mga Pilipino na nasa China at yung mga Chinese naman, makikita rin yung brand ng basketball sa Pilipinas,” he added.
Marcial has also invited East Asia League CEO Matt Beyer in hopes of helping the league hold a game in China.
Beyer recently invited San Miguel Beer, TNT KaTropa and Blackwater to the recent Terrific 12 tournament in Macau prior to the start of the PBA Governors’ Cup.
The league had earlier staged two games in Dubai with NLEX facing San Miguel and Ginebra. (Jonas Terrado)