Elitist PBA: A Distribution Blunder

I decided to watch PBA games again. Good timing. As of this writing, the elimination games have started to determine the two teams that will collide in the finals.

Frankly, I was disappointed.

Not with the teams that are playing in the elimination round. The four teams are B-Meg, Talk and Text, San Miguel and Ginebra San Miguel. These four teams have a good mix of players. All teams have excellent playing systems. The games I recently watched attest to that.

Not with the venue. Playing venue is the Araneta Coliseum, probably the best venue for basketball games and other big events. The last time I watched, the coliseum boasted of a four-sided LED posted at the center. With this LED, you will never miss what you see on TV even as you watch the games live.

Not with the food. Within and outside the coliseum are the best restaurants and outlets. Some of them are my favorites. Gateway is just a walk away. At the second floor, the Coliseum is connected by a bridge to the Farmers Market which has a good selection of food outlets.

Why then?

First, ticket sales or the way tickets are sold to the general public. The manner tickets are distributed or shared to the public. All upper box, patron and ringside tickets are distributed to team members. What are left to the general public are the lower box and general admission tickets with no designated seating.

The last three games I was at the coliseum, the upper box and general sections were crowded, filled to capacity. Many of the PBA fans had to suffer watching the games standing. In the last game, I had to leave the coliseum at half time during the exciting Ginebra-San Miguel game because I could not stand any longer. When I looked down at the lower box, patron and ringside sections, there were many empty seats. Perhaps, recipients of the tickets decided not to watch or were just not basketball enthusiasts.

To put it bluntly, this ticket distribution system is a blunder. It isolates PBA from the general viewing public. Worst, it makes PBA elitist. No way I will go back to the coliseum to watch the games standing.

Second, there was no attempt to manage seat capacity or to implement a revenue management system. Ordinarily, like in airlines and restaurants, some guests are upgraded to re-distribute capacity, sometimes for free and sometimes for a fee which generates additional revenues.

The absence of an initiative to re-distribute seat capacity suggests an elitist policy. As usual, the general public suffers or have to bear the consequences.