The MVP group of companies on Friday announced that it would deliver multi-platform, world-class coverage for the upcoming Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
With the tagline “See us stronger,” Cignal TV, TV5, the Philippines’ largest fully integrated telco PLDT and its wireless unit Smart Communications, Inc. (Smart) would bring in coverage of the anticipated multi-sport event through their combined TV, over-the-top (OTT) mobile and internet platforms.
These would be available not just to Filipino fans and sports enthusiasts in the Philippines but also abroad.
The summer Olympics will take place from July 23 to August 8 in Tokyo.
“The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 symbolize the highest level of athletic excellence and stands as a beacon of hope for Filipino athletes and sports spectators, both here and abroad,” Robert Galang, president & CEO of Cignal TV and TV5 said in a statement.
“In our commitment to providing the best sports content to our viewers, we will ensure extensive coverage and daily access to the Games across our free-to-air, pay TV, and OTT platforms, and through our partnership with Smart and PLDT,” he added.
In line with this coverage, sports fans will be given access to the Olympic games from the opening ceremonies until the games conclude.
This would be aired for free on TV5 and One Sports.
One Sports+ on Cignal TV will also dedicate a significant amount of their daily hours to broadcast the events, with Cignal also opening up two exclusive channels dedicated to broadcast the games 24/7.
Likewise, Cignal Play, and other live channels TV5, One Sports & One Sports+, will be offering exclusive channels broadcasting live updates to its subscribers, along with exclusive content not available on the TV broadcast. Cignal TV’s One News leads the group’s round-the-clock news coverage, featuring results, updates, and highlights.
Jane Basas, senior vice president and head of Consumer Wireless Business at Smart, said that Smart will offer complete coverage of the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 on Gigafest.smart.
This would be an addition to its already deep library of international sports and music content.
The website will also feature a livestream of the games to complement the TV broadcast to its customers, along with other Olympic-related content exclusively available via the streaming website.
PLDT will also offer ten channels to select PLDT Triple Play subscribers, rounding out the group’s comprehensive multi-platform coverage for the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020.
Alfredo Panlilio, president and CEO of PLDT and Smart, said that select correspondents of TV5 like Gretchen Ho would also be covering from Tokyo.
Aside from the ceremonies and games, Sienna Olaso, Cignal’s first vice president for Channels and Content Management, said that they would be launching shows to also feature the athlete’s preparations and struggles beyond the games.
While this year’s Olympics would be held differently amid the pandemic, Olaso said they would still adopt their learnings from TV5’s past coverage in Rio in 2016.
‘Bring home the gold’
Panlilio said that despite the calls to postpone the Olympic games in Japan anew. He is optimistic that this would push through this year.
Both Panlilio and PLDT and Smart CEO Manny V. Pangilinan said that the conduct of the Olympic games sparks hope among Filipinos and other sports fans globally despite the year of delay.
“It is our great pride to provide our subscribers access to the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 for them to enjoy this global sporting spectacle. We are also honored to be able to show support to Filipino athletes as they embark on their journey to make our country proud and showcase their skills through sports and athletics,” Panlilio said.
The Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 have been halted last year due to safety concerns over the CoVID-19 pandemic.
The International Olympic Committee and the Tokyo Organizing Committee this year agreed on measures to make the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 safe for all participants and spectators.
READ: Olympics: ‘We cannot postpone again,’ says Tokyo 2020 chief amid pandemic fears
Panlilio and Pangilinan are hopeful that the Filipino athletes would bring home gold or golds.
“Our battle cry remains the same ‘Laban Pilipinas, puso para sa bayan,’” Panlilio said during the media conference on Friday.
“We wish them well. Bring home the gold or golds. Our thoughts and prayers go with you in Tokyo,” Pangilinan also said.
Here are some of the athletes qualified to join the Olympic Games Tokyo 2020 as of writing:
- Ernest John Obiena (pole vault)
- Carlos Yulo (Gymnastics)
- Eumir Marcial (boxing)
- Irish Magno (boxing)
- Nesthy Petecio (boxing)
- Carlo Paalam (boxing)
- Hidilyn Diaz (weightlifting)
- Cris Nievarez (rowing)
- Kurt Barbosa (taekwondo)
- Margielyn Didal (skateboard)
—Rosette Adel
Editor’s Note: A unit under PLDT’s media conglomerate has a majority stake in Philstar Global Corp., which runs Interaksyon. This article was independently produced following editorial guidelines.