MANILA, PHILIPPINES, Oct. 25, 2023 – The National Basketball Association (NBA) today announced that the league’s 2022-23 season delivered record consumption and growth across social and digital media in the Philippines, including a record 923 million engagements across the league’s localized social media accounts in the country.
“The record engagement we experienced across every facet of our business in the Philippines last season is a testament to the incredible passion of our Filipino fans and their appetite for all things NBA,” said NBA Asia Managing Director Ramez Sheikh. “With the 2023-24 NBA season tipping off today, we look forward to building on the momentum around basketball and the NBA in the Philippines by working with our partners to engage fans across the country in new and creative ways.”
The 2023-24 NBA regular season tips off its broadcasts in the Philippines today with a double header. In the first game, two-time Kia NBA Most Valuable Player (MVP) Nikola Jokic and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets will receive their championship rings before hosting LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers in a rematch of the 2023 Western Conference Finals (7:30 a.m. PHT on Setanta Sports). In the second game, four-time NBA champions Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and the Golden State Warriors will host Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns (10 a.m. PHT on NBA TV Philippines and Pilipinas Live).
Below are additional highlights from the 2022-23 NBA season in the Philippines:
TV Viewership and Digital Consumption:
· 2 – The Philippines ranked second in the Asia-Pacific region for subscribers to NBA League Pass, the league’s premium live game subscription service available via the NBA App.
· 3 – The Philippines drew the third largest average audience globally for live NBA games across national free-to-air channels TV5 and One Sports and premium TV channel NBA TV Philippines – a localized version of NBA TV, the league’s dedicated 24/7 channel.
· 27 – Unique views per game on NBA League Pass reached its highest mark ever in the Philippines, increasing by 27 percent season-over-season.
· 40 – The 2023 NBA Playoffs delivered the highest average audience in the Asia-Pacific region across linear and digital channels, increasing by 40 percent season-over-season.
· 126 – The Philippines saw a 126 percent increase in unique visitors to the NBA App, ranking No. 2 among international markets in total NBA App downloads.
Social Media:
· 2.3 million – Through September 2023, “Republika on the Streets” – a content series published on the NBA Philippines TikTok page featuring influencers asking NBA trivia to people at local events – was the best performing original series across the NBA’s localized accounts in the Philippines on Facebook, X and TikTok, averaging 2.3 million views across 12 episodes.
· 6 million – Followers of the NBA Philippines Facebook page increased 10 percent year-over-year, making it the largest regional NBA Facebook page with more than six million fans.
· 618 million – The Philippines accounted for 618 million views on the NBA’s global YouTube channel, more than one-third of total views on the channel and the most of any country outside of the U.S.
· 923 million – The NBA’s localized accounts in the Philippines on Facebook, X and TikTok generated a record 923 million engagements, which include reactions, comments, shares, and video views combined.
Brand Partnerships and Retail:
· 2 – On May 4, the second and largest NBA Store in Metro Manila officially opened at the SM Mall of Asia in Pasay City, which is operated by TITAN, the Philippines’ leading basketball specialty concept store. The 500+ square-meter interactive retail and community space offers an extensive range of official NBA merchandise and memorabilia.
· 26 – The league has 26 marketing partners in the Philippines, including Energen Champion, Gatorade, Hennessy, Mountain Dew, Nike, Take-Two, Tissot and vivo.
· 58 – Through August 2023, sales across the NBA Store in SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia and NBAStore.com.ph – the official online NBA Store in the Philippines – increased 58 percent year-over-year.
· 1.2 million – Managed by TITAN, the two NBA Stores in Metro Manila and NBAStore.com.ph collectively drew more than 1.2 million unique visitors from October 2022 through September 2023.
Basketball Development and Events:
· 38 – In Aug. 23, USA Basketball Men’s National Team assistant coach Erik Spoelstra led an elite basketball clinic featuring 38 boys and girls from high schools and colleges across Metro Manila.
· 55 – A record 55 current NBA players were featured on national team rosters for the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 that was held in the Philippines, Japan and Indonesia, including Utah Jazz guard Jordan Clarkson who played for the Philippines Men’s National Team.
· 140 – In July, a series of activations were conducted to celebrate AT&T WNBA All-Star 2023 in the Philippines, including the first-ever WNBA All-Star viewing party in the country and “Her Time To Play Open Runs,” which provided more than 140 girls with the opportunity to play basketball for free at the NBA Community Court – a platform that provides opportunities for fans and aspiring players to play the game for free at a premier sports facility in Metro Manila.
· 3,400 – The NBA Community Court presented by TITAN has hosted more than 3,400 first-time visitors and more than 30 basketball events since its launch in May 2023.
Players and Coaches:
· 2 – Kai Sotto, a former participant of the Jr. NBA program in the Philippines (2017) and the Basketball Without Borders Global camp at NBA All-Star 2020 in Chicago, played in two games for the Orlando Magic in the NBA 2K24 Summer League 2023.
· 5 – The 2023-24 NBA season will feature five coaches and players with ties to the Philippines: Sacramento Kings player development coach Jimmy Alapag, Clarkson, Houston Rockets guard Jalen Green, Toronto Raptors forward Ron Harper Jr., and Spoelstra.
· 11 – Eleven former Jr. NBA Philippines participants are featured on rosters in professional leagues across Japan (Kiefer Ravena, Thirdy Ravena and Sotto), South Korea (Samjosef “SJ” Belangel) and the Philippines (Regile Kent Ilagan, Gian Mamuyac, Aljon Mariano, Aljun Melecio, Kib Montalbo, Ricci Rivero and Tyler Tio).
The 2023-24 season airs live in the Philippines on One Sports, NBA TV Philippines, streaming platforms Pilipinas Live and Setanta Sports, and NBA League Pass. Fans in the Philippines can shop for official NBA merchandise at the NBA Stores at SM Megamall and SM Mall of Asia and at NBAStore.com.ph. For all the latest NBA news and updates, fans in the Philippines can visit www.nba.com, download the NBA App, and follow the NBA on Facebook, X and TikTok.
