MPBL opens 8th season with new partner in SportsPlus

THE Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League (MPBL) ushers in a “new era” for a bigger, grander 8^th season featuring a bevy of stars from the UAAP and NCAA with new partner in national team patron SportsPlus.

The MPBL will open its new season on April 11 featuring an expected cast of 30 teams led by the rejigged Caloocan set to be reinforced by former collegiate stars Kean Baclaan of De La Salle University as well as Fil-Americans Kymani Ladi and Dom Escobar of Ateneo de Manila University among the few.

And in time for that, the MPBL led by Chief Executive Officer and Founder Manny Pacquiao on Monday sealed a partnership with SportsPlus that also backs the Philippine Olympic Committee, vowing to elevate the fast-growing league level in terms of competition, officiating and, most especially — integrity.

“When we started the MPBL, the vision was simple and that’s to bring pro basketball closer to the Filipinos, to the cities and provinces that breathe the game. Now, we take it then next level,” said Mr. Pacquiao during the media launch on Monday at the Gameville Ball Park in Mandaluyong.

“This marks a new era for the MPBL. This is about collaboration and aligning brands that believe in excellence, integrity and nationwide impact. This is a defining moment not only for the MPBL but for Philippine basketball. The work continues and the vision gets bigger. The best is yet to come.”

The MPBL-SportsPlus tie-up includes programs and projects for the development of grassroots basketball, especially with the presence of Junior MPBL, and the enhancement of fan experience on site during games or online through creative social media content creations.

The partnership, with supervision from PAGCOR and the Games and Amusement Board (GAB), also includes a concrete collaboration aimed at ensuring fair play and integrity, especially amid the growing game-fixing allegations by players, coaches and teams in recent years.

Since its foundation in 2018, the MPBL has already banned 47 players caught in game-fixing after a series of investigations, including a Senate hearing in 2024.

“We had a meeting with GAB. We are planning to do a resolution to stop game-fixing. One of the plans of SportsPlus is to help us. It’s the most important and we owe it to our fans. We share the same commitment for professionalism, integrity and growing the game the right way,” said MPBL commissioner and former player Emmerson Oreta.

And this early before everyone gets their feet wet in the highly-anticipated season opener, Mr. Pacquiao has issued a stern warning to whoever attempts to taint the game in the MPBL which also hints at international expansion this year in Asia. — John Bryan Ulanday