Balls (TV channel)
SDTV feed) | |
| Ownership | |
|---|---|
| Owner | ABS-CBN Corporation |
| Sister channels | ABS-CBN ANC CgeTV Cinema One Cine Mo! DZMM TeleRadyo Hero Jeepney TV Knowledge Channel Lifestyle Liga Maxxx Myx O Shopping S+A Velvet Studio 23 |
| History | |
| Launched | January 1, 2008 |
| Closed | December 31, 2015 |
| Replaced by | ABS-CBN Sports+Action HD Liga |
| Links | |
| Website | Archived official website at the Wayback Machine (archived 2015-12-31) |
Balls was a Philippine
ABS-CBN Cable Channels. The network shows notable sports broadcasts from the Philippines and abroad, as well as other sports related programming. Its local programming were produced and licensed by ABS-CBN Sports
.
Background
Balls was officially launched on January 1, 2008, the same day that fellow ABS-CBN subsidiary
ABS-CBN Cable Channels), which include Maxxx and Velvet. While SkyCable officials stated that the channels were being replaced to reduce redundancy in SkyCable's lineup and introduce new programming to the service, reports surfaced that the two companies had failed to reach a carriage deal since ABS-CBN had accused Solar of cannibalizing the revenue of its over-the-air networks.[1] Some reports says that the dispute has to do with Manny Pacquiao's exclusive contract with ABS-CBN's main competitor GMA Network
, which Solar has partnered for free TV airing of its boxing matches.
Although Balls was intended to effectively replace it, Basketball TV was restored to the SkyCable lineup in time for the 2008–09 NBA season in October 2008, and other Solar channels also returned to the lineup afterward.
It was announced that Balls and Balls HD would cease their broadcast on December 31, 2015. Its HD channel, as well as the entire channel's content (except the
Sports5) was absorbed to the Sports + Action brand and renamed as ABS-CBN Sports + Action HD.[2]
The last program to air on this channel was a replay of ABS-CBN Sports+Action
High-definition feed
On July 11, 2009, the channel launched its own high-definition feed on Sky Cable, marking the Philippines' first ever local high-definition television channel. On the same day, Balls also televised the country's first locally produced programs in HD, which included a UAAP college basketball game, followed by an NCAA game the following Monday, all produced by ABS-CBN Sports using the recently acquired Sony high-definition professional video cameras and a state-of-the-art HD OB van with technologies developed by EVS Broadcast Equipment, Snell, and Avid Technology.[3] Balls HD was in hibernation from December 28, 2009 until 2013.
Programming
Balls' initial lineup focused on
2011 Southeast Asian Games. It also carries all the matches of FIFA World Cup which is exclusively licensed to ABS-CBN Sports. While originally airing only foreign events since its inception, Balls began to air domestic events produced by ABS-CBN Sports in 2009, beginning with NCAA Season 85 and UAAP Season 72
.
References
- ^ "Cable company dropping Solar channels effective Jan.1". GMA News. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- ^ "Balls to cease airing". mysky.com.ph. December 15, 2015. Retrieved April 16, 2023.
- ^ "ABS-CBN airs UAAP on high-definition". Manila Bulletin. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
External links
- Official website (archived)
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1 Joint venture. 2 Partnership. 3 Distribution. 4 Continued broadcast on international and online. | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||