Executives from NBA Philippines, Philstar.com and E-Games take the stage during the launch of NBA.com Philippines
MANILA, PHILIPPINES — The National Basketball Association (NBA) is bringing the hoops action closer to their Filipino fans with the impending launch of NBA.com Philippines, a localized portal that will cater to the sport’s local fans.
The new online destination was unveiled a day before the start of the 2012 NBA Playoffs on Saturday, with key executives from the NBA as well as its two partners in the initiative — IP e-Game Ventures Inc. (E-Games) and Philstar.com — gracing the trade show.
NBA Philippines Country Manager Carlo Singson said the league decided to open its 13th Web destination in the Philippines because of the country’s immense support and loyalty to the US-based basketball league.
Singson revealed that the Philippines actually ranks third — next only to the US and China — in terms of monthly visitors to the NBA.com website, accounting for as much as 56 million page views every month.
“That is an amazing achievement,” Singson remarked, adding that the NBA’s goal for the future is to make the league more salient to its global fans. “Digital is the new frontier for the NBA. Fans want something new to get them excited about the games.”
To whet Pinoy NBA fans’ appetite for the game, the NBA is pooling unique and localized content to be featured on the site, including commentary from Philippine Star sports columnist Quinito Henson; writer Rick Olivares; and a host of other sports enthusiasts and bloggers.
Executives said the Philippine portal would also be the only one to feature a “Cheer dancers” section, which will feature the various cheer dancing team of the NBA, owing to the Pinoys’ growing penchant for the sport.
The NBA.com Philippines website will also integrate various social media elements so that fans can keep track of the game using their Facebook (NBA Philippines) or Twitter (@NBA_Philippines) accounts.
The NBA has a long history in the Philippines, and we are always looking to deliver bigger and better experiences to our Filipino NBA fans,” Singson said.
“NBA.com Philippines provides a good blend of local commentary, global content and event information, and IP e-Games’ expertise and reputation in the market make them the perfect partner.
E-Games will reportedly be responsible for all the back-end technical elements of the website, from hosting to content management and other digital features. Philstar.com, meanwhile, will be providing unique and local content for the site.
