Localized ESPN digital platforms launched to enhance ESPN5 viewing experience

February 2, 2018 - 10:30 AM
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TV5 president Chot Reyes. (Photo by Edwin P. Sallan/InterAksyon)

Nearly four months after TV5 joined forces with ESPN and launched ESPN5, the cobranding collaboration recently launched its related digital properties designed to further enhance the ESPN5 viewing experience.

During the press launch of the Philippine edition of ESPN.com and ESPN Player, which is part of the ESPN5 Licensing and Sponsorship Collaboration, TV5 president Vincent “Chot” Reyes said that the introduced digital properties will give Filipino sports fans “an exciting new digital gateway for all the latest news, scores, videos and more from the Philippine sporting scene and around the world — anytime and anywhere.”

Reyes added that the digital launches are the latest developments in the collaboration between TV5 and ESPN after TV5 successfully launched the co-branded ESPN5 channel in October and produced a local edition of the iconic “SportsCenter” show in December.

As revealed by ESPN5 head Lloyd Manaloto, Philippine-based netizens who type ESPN.com in their web browsers will now be re-directed to the localized portal of the site (now bearing the ESPN5 logo) which will contain news, features and video experiences around top sports of interest to Filipino sports fans including also those featured in the U.S. and international versions of the ESPN site.

A quick look at the localized ESPN.com (official URL: http://tv5.espn.com/) revealed tabs or sections devoted to the National Basketball Association (NBA), Basketball (covers the Philippine Basketball Association and the Gilas national team), US National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) basketball, eSports, the National Football League, Boxing and a separate section to cover all other sports.

“We are proud to be able to feature Philippine sports news, stories from the PBA, PSL, GILAS, and all other sporting events TV5 covers as part of ESPN’s digital platforms. Now we can truly give our audience the broadest array of sports content when they want it, where they want it,” Reyes said.

Clockwise from top left: Aaron Atayde, ESPN5 head Lloyd Manaloto, Amanda Fernandez, TV5 president Chot Reyes and Lia Cruz. (Photo by Edwin P. Sallan, InterAksyon)

The TV5 chief and Gilas Pilipinas coach further noted that the new properties promise an “elegant, lively and more personal digital sports experience to Filipino sports fans across mobile phones, tablets and computers and are part of ESPN’s leading global digital sports portfolio.”

In addition to launching ESPN.com, the subscription based streaming service ESPN Player was also launched. Manaloto said that for only P99 per month, ESPN Player will provide live and on-demand sports including NCAA College sports, X Games, and IndyCar.

To further complement the Philippine ESPN.com site and the ESPN Player service, a similarly localized ESPN mobile app will also be launched later this year.

Reyes and Manaloto was joined at the ESPN.com launch by ESPN Southeast Asia head Joyee Biwas and “SportsCenter” hosts Aaron Atayde, Lia Cruz, and Amanda Fernandez.