With ABS-CBN's contract to broadcast the UAAP expiring on March 31, 2010, two other TV networks are bidding for exclusive television rights for the league, although ABS-CBN has the
right of first refusal.
Solar Entertainment Corporation's sports section Solar Sports will join the bidding for the TV rights, with a Solar official naming
GMA Network as another interested party. The UAAP has been broadcast by ABS-CBN for ten years already at their UHF station Studio 23. UAAP president Anton Montinola said the league considers "to project the league not just nationally but also globally" due to "a lot of followers abroad, mostly alumni". Montinola further said the league has been satisfied with ABS-CBN's coverage of both the basketball and volleyball games. The volleyball tournament was even moved from the first semester (July–October) to the second semester (November–March) to maximize the TV coverage. Confirming Solar's earlier revelation, GMA has joined the bidding, submitting theirs at a UAAP board meeting on March 19, 2009. In order to strengthen its position, ABS-CBN's bid includes airing the men's basketball championship series at their flagship
VHF station
Channel 2 instead of airing it on Studio 23, where ABS-CBN has aired the men's basketball tournament for the past nine seasons. GMA will air the games on its
VHF channel
Q. Despite the
TV rights row on the Pacquiao-Hatton boxing bout between ABS-CBN on one hand and Solar Sports and GMA on the other, Solar has confirmed it will stand by their UAAP bid, with Solar offering a possible linkage either to ABS-CBN's
The Filipino Channel (on which the games currently air) or to
GMA Pinoy TV to air the games internationally. On October 4, right before the tip-off of Game 2 of the men's basketball finals, the UAAP and ABS-CBN agreed in principle and signed a
memorandum of agreement giving the broadcasting network the right to air the league's games for another five-year period starting
UAAP Season 73. ==Basketball==