News

FIBA World Cup broadcast lauded for world-class coverage

Coverage flex by Cignal TV

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After more than two weeks of nonstop basketball action, the FIBA World Cup 2023 held in Manila came to a close last September 10. 

Excitement ran at an all-time high for the local fans. The Philippines enjoyed the honor of hosting the world’s best teams as they battled it out for basketball supremacy.

Records were broken. The opening match between Gilas Pilipinas and the Dominican Republic at the Philippine Arena drew some 38,115 fans. It happened on August 25, 2023 and set the FIBA World Cup record for live attendance.

Fans also met the first Filipino Digital Human named “Pearl” — a collaboration between Smart-PLDT, NTT Data, and MediaQuest. 

The team effort of the entire MVP Group of Companies was commended by International Basketball Federation Secretary General Andreas Zagklis. He says the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 has “lived up to expectations and delivered in terms of drama, fan engagement, social media stats, and overall experience.”

Unprecedented Coverage 

Cignal TV applied its combined strengths in event production and sports broadcasting. This resulted in world-class staging of games and coverage.

Fans from all over the Philippines enjoyed the games at the 238 watch parties held in 92 locations nationwide. This was spearheaded by Cignal TV, in partnership with participating malls and barangays.

While those who watched the games from their homes were provided various options: free-to-air channels on TV5 and One Sports; Pay TV channels One Sports+ and PBA Rush; and Cignal and SatLite pay-per-view services.

Pilipinas Live

Pilipinas Live

Meanwhile, Cignal TV’s OTT streaming platform Pilipinas Live showed all 92 games without commercial interruption. The sports app raised the fans’ viewing experience to a whole new level. It provided a host of unique features including multi-camera views, behind-the-scenes, and the fan stream feature.

“As the official Philippine Media Rights Holder of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, we produced the best game coverage using state-of-the-art equipment as well as the studio shows for our various broadcast and streaming platforms,” said Cignal TV’s First Vice President and Head of Channel and Content Management, Sienna G. Olaso. She also served as Broadcast, Media, and Ceremonies Head for FIBA LOC. 

For Jane J. Basas, President and CEO of Mediaquest Holdings and Cignal TV, the successful hosting and broadcast of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 in Manila was the culmination of years of hard work made possible by the MVP Group. She also served as Head of the Ways and Means Committee of the FIBA LOC.

“We are truly honored to be given the opportunity to deliver this memorable experience. Our heartfelt gratitude goes out to all our partners at FIBA, SBP, Smart-PLDT, our production and broadcast teams from Cignal, and all the volunteers who made this possible,” said Basas.

Cignal TV, FIBA World Cup 2027 in Qatar

With the successful conclusion of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023, Cignal TV is now ramping up efforts of furthering its world-class production and broadcast capabilities and has set its sights on the upcoming 19th Asian Games in Hangzhou, China, as well as the 2027 FIBA World Cup to be held in Qatar.

Accessories

Apple is reportedly working on its own gaming controllers

It might launch under the Beats brand.

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Last week, the iPhone Duo changed how you look at the ubiquitous smartphone. Foldables are in, and Apple is right there with it. But the company isn’t stopping with the foldable segment. Apple is reportedly working on its own branded game controllers.

According to Bloomberg, Apple has been working on a controller since last year. Further, a piece of code linked to macOS 27.4, spotted by MacRumors, includes references to two unknown gaming controllers.

Because Apple just concluded its huge event this month, it will likely be a while before we see confirmation of this controller. And it could be anything. Of course, because the Duo is fresh on our minds, the easiest answer is a mobile controller than can maximize the foldable’s ability to stand by itself. It could also use Apple’s larger screens like the iPad, the MacBook, or the Mac. Some even speculate that this could be Apple’s stronger push into the gaming market.

Outside of the actual hardware, the reports are also claiming that the controller will arrive by way of Beats, rather than from Apple itself. At first, the branding comes off as a surprise, but then again, Beats hasn’t really evolved past an audio brand in a long, long time. Is it time to revitalize Beats as something more than just a peddler of headphones?

SEE ALSO: First Look: Apple iPhone Duo

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Gaming

Xbox saves Kojima’s PHYSINT after PlayStation drops support

PlayStation says the separation was mutual, but Kojima hints otherwise.

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Things aren’t going well in the PlayStation camp. After two months of frankly questionable decisions, the company adds another to the pile by dropping support for Hideo Kojima’s PHYSINT.

For a while now, Kojima and PlayStation were in a very productive relationship with the Death Stranding duology, a critically acclaimed collection of titles for the platform. When things looked like they were going well, Kojima announced PHYSINT, an espionage-themed game which reminded fans way too much of Metal Gear Solid.

If you were investing in a PlayStation 5 to play Kojima’s latest thriller, you might want to move your chips elsewhere now. PlayStation has just dropped support for the espionage game, meaning PHYSINT will no longer be a first-party title for the platform.

Though PlayStation claims that the decision came after “careful consideration,” Kojima himself has said that the move was “unexpected,” going against PlayStation’s assurance of a mutual separation.

Very quickly, Xbox has announced that their platform will support PHYSINT instead. It’s a big get for the competing brand because Xbox Game Studios is already supporting OD, Kojima’s other upcoming horror project starring Sophia Lillis.

Unfortunately, it’s difficult to say more. As is tradition, Kojima will not explain much more about his upcoming titles. In fact, OD’s trailer barely says anything. One thing’s for sure, though: we’re all in for quite a ride.

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Entertainment

PH to celebrate 1st ever National Cinema Day; movies start at less than $2

Watch a movie on September 12 for a fraction of the cost

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The Philippines will be celebrating its first ever National Cinema Day on September 12. On this day, movie tickets will go for as low as PhP 100 (US$ 1.60) at regular 2D cinemas.

The campaign aims to make moviegoing more accessible to audiences. This includes families, friends, students, and cinephiles in general.

Such initiative has been a staple in other countries, like the United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Germany, Australia, New Zealand, and more. The same concept applies, with movie tickets going on sale for a lot less.

What’s great about the celebration is that all movies scheduled for exhibition on September 12, whether local or international, shall get the special admission price.

Advanced tickets sales have already begun. Customers can purchase through participating box offices, official websites, mobile apps, and authorized platforms.

Tickets will be sold on a first-come, first-served basis and remain subject to theater capacity. Prices vary for other viewing formats like Director’s Club or IMAX, for instance.

The campaign is organized by the Cinema Exhibitors Association of the Philippines (CEAP), along with industry and government partners.

The initiative is supported by the Film Academy of the Philippines (FAP), Film Development Council of the Philippines (FDCP), Movie and Television Review and Classification Board (MTRCB), and the Metro Manila Film Festival through the MMDA.

Participating cinemas include Ayala Malls Cinemas, SM Cinemas, Robinsons Movieworld, CityMall Cinema, Megaworld Cinemas, and more.

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