In the Philippines, the Lakers, Warriors, Bulls, Heat, and Celtics are particularly popular, with fans avidly following games, buying team merchandise, and engaging on social media platforms.
Los Angeles Lakers
For many Filipino basketball enthusiasts, the Los Angeles Lakers occupy a special place in their hearts. The evidence of this sentiment is not only anecdotal, as one can observe it in concrete numbers as well. One of the examples of how Filipino fans love the Lakers is the level of viewership. During the 2020 NBA Finals, when the Lakers were playing, the Philippine broadcast networks reported a 45% increase in viewership, in comparison with earlier playoff games. These numbers could hardly have been better, as during the Lakers’ championship clinching game, the viewership reached the highest rate ever recorded for an NBA match in the Philippines.
Furthermore, one can see evidence of the Lakers’ popularity in the surge in merchandise sales. The latter usually take off in regard to other teams. For example, a large retailer located in a prominent city in the Philippines mentioned that its sales for Lakers merchandise during the 2019-20 NBA season increased two-fold, which could not be said about any other team. Such an increase in sales is a common trend and could be observed nationally, as Lakers merchandise takes hold of most Filipino malls, both off- and online. Another way to observe such a connection is through social media presence.
For example, although the Celtics and the Golden State Warriors have more NBA titles, the Lakers lead both of these teams, which can be seen in the increase in the number of mentions by the locals – during the playoffs, and then during the NBA Finals, the mentions of the Lakers usually surge and, on average, fall within a 70% increase. Furthermore, last year, Filipino followers of various Lakers’ teams increased by roughly 30%. In addition, the public viewing is also another example of how popular the Lakers are in the Philippines. Local establishments reported a two-fold increase in attendance every time the Lakers were playing during the finals.
In sports bars, during game nights, the revenues increase by 40%. In addition to that, the popularity of the Lakers allows these establishments to considerably raise the prices. With such a number of examples, one can hardly assume that the almost visceral connection that many Filipino fans feel is only anecdotal. Moreover, it would hardly be possible if it were, as the tie between the Lakers and Filipino fans was the reason why the Lakers’ match was the most visited in Archimedes. Over 20 thousand Filipinos saw the Lakers play, contributing to the drastic increase in basketball participation the country experienced after the mentioned event.
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have become one of the most prominent franchises in the Philippine basketball fanbase, due to the fact that this team, for the most part, entertains with an exciting style of play and delivers many successful seasons. It can be observed from TV ratings that Filipino people are particularly interested in Warriors’ showings. For the NBA Finals appearances from 2015 until 2019, Filipino broadcasters have noted that the viewership of the Warriors’ games increased significantly, with an average rise of 55% compared to regular season games. For the 2018 NBA Finals involving the Golden State Warriors, the ratings in the Philippines were the best ever, as the fourth game got a peak viewership that was 80% higher than any other NBA game that season.
Merchandise sales also indicate the level of Warriors’ popularity in the Philippines. When the Golden State Warriors achieved their latest NBA title in 2015, the sales of their jerseys, focusing particularly on Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, increased by over 100% in Filipino sports stores. The data from the year 2019 show that Curry’s jersey was the best-selling NBA jersey in the Philippines, with no other player even coming near this mark. This pattern has persisted for the 2020 season as well, with the Golden State Warriors’ merchandise accounting for around 30% of all NBA sales in major Filipino chains for the first half of the year.
Social media interaction in the Philippines also supports the notion that the Golden State Warriors are particularly popular. Filipino social media analysis shows that the mentions of the Warriors increase by 120% during the NBA playoffs. Considering the activity on their Facebook pages, the Golden State Warriors attracted a 50% follower increase from the Philippines, which is most likely similar to other digital interactions with the team. The pattern of success in the Philippines can also be seen during public viewings. Sports bars and restaurants in Manila, as well as the nearby Quezon City, have noted that the attendance on Warriors’ game nights during the NBA Finals can boost the visiting customers’ presence by up to 200%.
Depending on promotional night deals and specially prepared attractions for Warriors’ games, some places could improve their attendance and revenue figures two times more. Even when the Golden State Warriors visited the Philippines for promotional campaign purposes, over 10,000 fans attended the events to see their favorite players. In addition to that, grassroots basketball development indicators such as basketball clinic participation and youth basketball league registrations have increased after the Warriors visited the Philippines.
Chicago Bulls
The Chicago Bulls have always been a popular team among Filipino basketball fans, with their popularity stemming from the era of the legendary Michael Jordan. According to viewer engagement statistics, this popularity continues to this day. As it happened, the viewing rate of classic Bulls finals games in the Philippines increases by 50% compared to other NBA classics, regardless of how long it has been since their original airing in the 1990s.
Specifically, during the broadcast of the 2020 documentary series about the 1997-1998 season of the team, the airing on Philippine cable networks saw an increase in viewership of 120%. Merchandise sales, moreover, illustrate the popularity of the team in the Philippines. While the Bulls team was not faring well in the 2019-2020 season, Bulls team merchandise sales were high in the Philippines. Selling the fifth most jerseys in the 2019-2020 season, the most noticeable sales increase was the sales of retro Jordan jerseys. Coincidentally, the sales increase was approximately 75% during the airing of the documentary.
The data from social media, too, show that pictures of the Bulls are more engaging than other NBA-related posts. Every Manila-based social media post about the Chicago Bulls receives 30% more engagement than other NBA teams, with the week of the documentary airing seeing an increase of 60% in engagement with the official Bulls account in the Philippines. Public watch figures, too, seem to corroborate this trend.
The night of the airing of the documentary in the Philippines, bars and restaurants in the major cities of the country reported that events showing the documentary and events regarding the Chicago Bulls in general saw an increase in attendance by as much as 150%. Since the same venues also hosted viewing parties where the featured episodes could be seen by the fans together, this led to a near doubling of the venues’ average nightly revenue during the week of the airing. Lastly, the attendance of basketball clinics and local leagues that used Bulls apparel and branding increased by 40% after the airing of the documentary.
Miami Heat
The popularity of the Miami Heat in the Philippines, particularly during the LeBron James era, has had a lasting impact on the country’s basketball culture. This year, NBA Finals appearances in 2011-2014 and this year, in 2020, have gathered even more attention. During these periods, the TV ratings for the Heat games increased by an average of 65% in the Philippines, with the peak in the Finals reaching up to 85% greater than the regular season games.
The 2020 NBA Finals against the Los Angeles Lakers were some of the highest-rated games on TV, with an increase from game to game of as much as 90% higher than the regular playoff matches. Merchandise sales were a strong indication of the team’s popularity. Each year, during their final runs, the sales of gear and jerseys grew significantly. This year, 100% of Miami Heat gear was sold by Filipino retailers more than in 2019. Sales of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo jerseys increased by 120% and 85%, respectively, throughout the playoffs, as both players had standout performances, defensively and offensively.
Mentions of the Miami Heat through the NBA Finals on Filipino social media platforms rose by 150%. Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook were filled with game highlights and comments by fans and players. These posts acted as a catalyst for digital interaction and brand presence. On top of that, the Filipino followers of the team’s official pages on these platforms grew on average by 40% through the 2020 Finals.
Sports bars in major cities, like Manila and Cebu, reported an increase in guests for the Heat games. The foot traffic in these establishments during playoff game nights raised by 200%, with a revenue increase of as much as 50% compared to the nights when other teams played. The youth engagement in the sport, such as basketball clinics and leagues, was another indication of the Miami Heat’s following increase.
Throughout the championship, basketball programs in the country noted a 30% increase in participation, with most participants wearing Miami branded apparel. The increase was most evident in local community sports centers and schools, where basketball coaches used Miami’s unselfish playing style and great team chemistry as a learning tool for their players.
Boston Celtics
The Boston Celtics are one of the most popular teams among the Filipino fans due to their rich experience and the number of championships. Television viewership can be used to trace the team’s popularity. For instance, during the 2018 playoffs when the Boston Celtics played against the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference Finals, the Philippine broadcasters reported a 70% increase in viewership compared to other games featuring the Celtics.
In turn, the viewership spike was even more substantial during Game 7, as the viewership increase reached 95%, one of the highest numbers of that year. Sales statistics also prove Filipino fans’ love for the Celtics. Celtics’ merchandise was the second best-selling during the 2018-2019 NBA season in the Philippines, trailing only behind the Los Angeles Lakers. A 60% increase in the sales of jerseys and other Celtics merchandise was reported, of which the sales of Kyrie Irving and Jayson Tatum jerseys went up by 80% and 50%, respectively.
The Celtics also have a solid presence on social media. The team is one of the most mentioned on platforms like Twitter, with mentions showing an increase during the playoffs. In particular, the Boston Celtics’ 2019 playoff run was accompanied by 130% more mentions and interactions from the Philippines. The Celtics are also very popular in public viewings, as sports bars and restaurants saw a 150% increase in attendance during the broadcasts of the 2019 playoffs in Metro Manila.
Many young fans also went to local clinics and academies that were reportedly 35% more attendable after the playoffs, where young players were often taught to approach the game like the Celtics.
