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Solar Sports

Philippine television sports channel From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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Solar Sports is a Philippine digital free-to-air television network based in Shaw Boulevard, Mandaluyong, Philippines. It serves as the flagship network of Southern Broadcasting Network, a subsidiary of Solar Entertainment Corporation. The channel was originally launched as a cable channel on October 30, 2002, and is available for Sky Cable, Cablelink, other local cable operators in the Philippines and via digital free-to-air television in Mega Manila starting October 7, 2024.

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Logo used from 2016 to 2024. The "S" was reused upon returning to digital terrestrial television, combining with the 2002 old logo format.

The channel is known for showing sports that are familiar to the Filipino audience. Its main programming are the NBA games, showing either a game or a doubleheader each day during the season. Other NBA programming includes shows produced by NBA TV, such as the NBA's Greatest Games and WNBA games during the league's off-season. It also shows the American Super Bowl. It is also the Filipino provider of the Olympic Games.

It also shows boxing matches such as the ones from the promotions of Bob Arum, Don King and most recently, Oscar De La Hoya's Golden Boy Promotions. From 2002 to 2006, Solar Sports would cover the fights of Manny Pacquiao, until Pacquiao signed with ABS-CBN for the rights to cover his fights. However, Solar Sports regained the broadcast rights for Pacquiao's fights since 2007 when the channel signed a deal with GMA Network.

Other sports include Volleyball and Badminton, such as the JVC Badminton tournament and the first-ever Manny V. Pangilinan Badminton Tournament, pitting players from Asia and Europe, in 2005.

The network also launched Solar Sports Desk, a late-evening sports news program, similar to ESPN, those famed American sports programs such as SportsCenter. In October 2006, Solar Sports re-launch its channel, adding local shows.

The channel is available exclusively in Metro Manila through Global Destiny Cable as of 2008. It used to be available exclusively on Sky Cable, but the two parties ceased their partnership at end of 2007 but it will be back on July 1. All cable companies in the provinces can put the channel without having to worry about exclusive rights.

On April 10, 2017, Sky Cable & Destiny Cable dropped Solar Sports along with sister channels Basketball TV (now defunct), CT (now defunct), Jack TV (now defunct) & NBA Premium TV (now defunct) allegedly due to Sky Cable's unpaid carriage fees. On January 1, 2019, the channel was restored on Sky Cable after 1 year of carriage disputes.[1]

On October 1, 2019, Basketball TV ceased airing 13 years after it was first aired in 2006, which means all remaining basketball-related programs will now air on Solar Sports. Among those basketball-related programs include NBL Philippines, Liga Endesa, FIBA World Basketball and Universities and Colleges Basketball League among others.

On July 31, 2022, Solar Sports began broadcasting in anamorphic 16:9 aspect ratio. This change allowed for a widescreen presentation, optimizing the viewing experience for viewers with compatible widescreen televisions.

On September 20, 2024, Solar Sports announced on its Facebook page that the channel would become available on digital terrestrial television in key areas of Mega Manila via UHF Channel 21, starting October 7, 2024, marking its return to digital free-to-air television after two years, this time as a free-to-air non-encrypted format. Their logo was also changed prior to its move which they combined the 2002 and 2016 logos.[2]

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