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The sports industry has enjoyed a huge expansion in the Philippines, and representatives of this Southeast Asian country started finding their places on the global scene. The amount of capital and the number of companies entering these markets in the Philippines are increasing, and we have analyzed the potential of sports growth in this Southeast Asian country.
As a young and large population, the Philippines have a great potential for sports and esports development. The average age is under 25, and these people are keen on engaging and interacting with these industries.
Let’s dive into the most representative examples of the Philippines’ rise on the global sports scene.
Basketball as the most popular sport in the Philippines
Basketball is perhaps the most important sport that has impacted the acceleration in the Philippines’ sports industry. It became a national sport, and it dominates others in several parameters, including participation, fan interest, awareness, and viewership. The NBA had a major influence on the rising popularity of basketball in the Philippines.
It boasts almost 100% brand awareness, and it almost has an iconic status. Although the NBA was popular in this country even in the ’80s, nowadays, this popularity created big commercial opportunities. As a result, the Philippines are now one of the biggest NBA international markets.
Nowadays, many basketball fans and bettors can find the Philippines basketball league offered by the most respected bookmakers. The best options for online sports betting in the Philippines are available in this helpful guide. Moreover, basketball was the first sport in the Philippines with a professional league. It happened thanks to the Philippine Basketball Association establishment in 1975.
At the same time, that league was also the first pro basketball competition in Asia. Therefore, the Philippines naturally became the basketball hub in Asia. The organization of NBA exhibition games also contributed to that status.
Ultimately, the global recognition of the Philippines’ basketball is the joint organization of the FIBA Basketball World Cup 2023 with Indonesia and Japan. A group stage will take place in this country, while Manila will host the finals. Therefore, it’s not strange that 75% of Filipinos love basketball, and 33% have played this popular sport.
Filipino athletes get more noticed on the world stage
It’s not that basketball is the only representative of the Philippines’ sports sector. Over the past few years, many Filipino athletes have been successful in their sports and at big competitions. The 2021 and 2022 will be remembered in the Philippines’ sports history as milestones and most successful years. Filipino athletes led the country to 4th place in medal rankings at the Southeast Asian Games.
If we take a look back to the Tokyo Olympics, we’ll see that the Philippines’ flag was raised four times. Boxing brought three medals to the country, while weightlifting also contributed to the success with one. The Philippines were the best-ranked Southeast Asian country at the Olympics and 50th in overall rankings. Filipinos could celebrate their first-ever gold medal at the Olympics after Hidilyn Diaz won the weightlifting competition.
Women’s sports experienced a great expansion over this period. Hidilyn Diaz’s gold medal was not the only notable success in Filipino women’s sports. Nesthy Petecio won a silver medal in boxing and became the first woman in the history of the Philippines sport to win a medal in this sport.
We shouldn’t neglect football development as well. The Filipinas managed to qualify for the 2023 FIFA World Cup tournament for the first time. Regardless of gender, it will be the first appearance of the Philippines’ football team at this level.
The success of Filipino sports is noticeable, and the awareness of other sports besides basketball is rising. Nowadays, the fanbase for football, boxing, gymnastics, and tennis is increasing thanks to the rising stars of the Philippines’ sports. This trend can bring only good things to the industry since it should trigger more investment and sponsorship.
On the other hand, the country should keep improving facilities to enable athletes to be competitive on the global stage.
The Esports market growth
Apart from traditional sports, another sector in this industry enjoys a sky-rocket growth. Since esports have found their way on the global stage, they have also become an important factor in the market growth. The Philippines have a huge opportunity to establish itself as the leading esports market in the world. Besides being among the fastest-growing sports in the Philippines, esports can create many business opportunities for the country.
Since 2017, the Filipino esports market has been rising continuously, and nowadays, there are more than 43 million active gamers. Consequently, the revenue increase follows this trend and is expected to reach $1.5 billion in 2025. Several factors contribute to the esports expansion in the Philippines.
A large and young population is an excellent platform for the steady and continuous growth of esports. Young people are excited about new technologies and engage themselves in mobile gaming. The technology improvement itself has boosted the esports expansion rapidly. 5G networks can now serve digitally-savvy Filipinos, who gravitate more away from TV towards online platforms.
Esports get more intriguing thanks to local heroes and gaming influencers that help accelerate the sector. It leads to an increased number of esports competitions and teams in the Philippines. Domestic and international investors and companies notice these trends and are willing to help the industry continue its growth.
Conclusion
Thanks to the accelerated growth of sports and esports markets, the Philippines are full of potential for further expansion of these sectors. It is a good time for a country to capitalize on these trends and become recognized more on the global scene.
With more local and foreign investors and sponsors, the sports industry can continue its improvement. Also, athletes, young sports, and esports stars should have the best facilities and education possible. This combination can lead to win-win solutions if led and guided properly and professionally.
We shouldn’t be surprised to see Filipino athletes playing a significant role in the world’s most famous sports!
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