A former professional basketball player has proposed that the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) should contemplate offering free admission to elimination-round matches to entice fans back to the game venues.
Mark Andaya, who played for five teams during his six-season PBA career, suggested in a social media post that it’s a strategy the league should contemplate, especially considering the financial losses incurred due to nearly empty venues for every PBA game.
“Can they try opening Araneta Coliseum and MOA Arena for FREE too for public ang mga PBA games? All their venues? Malulugi? Eh, pag nakikita ko games sa TV, talagang bakante naman na ang mga seats. Lugi naman na anyways, for sure,” Andaya said.
“With this, baka bumalik ang mga manonood kasi libre na nga entrance diba? Baka lang. They need to try this. Take a risk, kahit siguro elimination round games lang… sacrifice sila,” he added. “Para lang sumubok na ma-invite ulit ang mga tao muna bumalik manood sa PBA.”
Andaya also proposed that PBA players should refrain from immediately retreating to their dugouts after games and instead interact with fans. Additionally, he recommended that the league consider hosting half of their matches in the provinces.
“After every games ng PBA, huwag muna pabalikin ang mga Players lalo na mga Superstars sa dugouts, have them interact with fans more physically. Selfies and autographs. Connect with fans. Touch people’s lives even in this simple ways every game,” Andaya said.
“Also, PBA should schedule more live games in provinces, not few, but many, many more. Kung pwede 50% Metro Manila, 50% Provinces, Luzon, Bisayas, at Mindanao. Kahit hindi malaki venue and di quality and florring ng court, let the PBA games be held there,” he added.
Andaya said the PBA should follow the lead of the Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League and the Pilipinas Super League, which are drawing “big happy crowds” with their free admission matches.
“With MPBL and PSL drawing big happy crowds in their game venues night after night, sabihin na nating libre ang entrance ng mga tao gusto manood live, nandoon talaga yung interest ng mga tao pumunta sa venues at manood,” Andaya said.
“I just worry why wala nang masyado nanood ng live sa mga venues ng PBA talaga, siguro except pag Ginebra games. It’s obvious sa TV that MPBL and PSL are drawing more crowds better than PBA na,” he added.
“Crowds is crowds. Walang better crowds. Tao is tao. Manonood is manonood. No disrespect to the PBA, but they really, really have to act on this; if not, baka mamatay na ang PBA in the near future. We all don’t want that to happen. Not even in our wildest dreams,” he further said.
Andaya, now an actor on the ABS-CBN show Batang Quiapo, concluded his statement by emphasizing that his social media posts were merely suggestions. He noted that it’s ultimately up to the PBA officials to decide whether to consider them.
“I maybe wrong, though. Baka satisfied na ang mga big bosses sa nangyayari sa PBA. Baka they think ok pa din naman ang PBA. PBA then, PBA now, and PBA tomorrow is forever will be an institution. It is one of our national sports treasure,” Andaya said.
“PBA is PBA. It is still the ultimate dream. Salute to MPBL and PSL! Congratulations! But PBA, historically, will always be elite, but they need too to do something new and better historically,” he added.
The absence of PBA fans in the game venues has been noticeable since the start of the PBA 2023–2024 season.
Surprisingly, even the smaller Ninoy Aquino Stadium in Malate, Manila, was not filled up on Sunday night for a game featuring crowd-favorite Barangay Ginebra San Miguel Kings.
The post PBA urged to offer free admission for elimination-round games to attract fans back first appeared on Fastbreak.
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