Sports fans in the Philippines have embraced football as a spectator sport, despite the fact that most fans prefer basketball and boxing due to the fast-paced nature of these sports.
But a new generation of sports fans, particularly in the Gen Z demographic, has embraced the methodical and exciting play and celebrated goals in various European leagues.
Football has been making its way into the Filipinos’ radars since the Azkals achieved the “Miracle of Hanoi” in 2010 AFF Suzuki Cup.
The successive Women’s World Cup stints of the Filipinas (formerly Malditas) in 2023 and the upcoming 2027 edition in Brazil added to the hype.
With the English Premier League, Spanish La Liga and the other big UEFA-affiliated football leagues coming to an end-of-season break, Pinoy fans are keenly awaiting the biggest ever FIFA World Cup.
The first whistle will be heard on June 11, or in the early hours of June 12 in Manila, with Mexico taking on South Africa.
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Pinoy football on the rise
The 2022 FIFA World Cup hosted by Qatar has shown how the Philippines have accepted football as one of its favorite sports, as it had around 39 million Filipinos showing interest according to local media reports.
Most of them, around 80%, are Gen Zs and young millennials, or those under the age of 35.
This year, that figure will be higher, as about 51% of Filipino football fans anticipate watching the highlights on YouTube or attending live watch parties in Metro Manila and other areas where the tournament will be shown.
Around six billion viewers are expected to watch the month-long event and the Philippines will get more than just access to all 104 games.
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Broadcasting arrangements for the World Cup
One of the largest digital advertising companies, which represents social media platforms like X, Pinterest, Reddit and TikTok in the Southeast Asian nation, has secured the exclusive rights for commercialization and multimedia distribution of the event in the country.
TV, social media and other platforms will follow suit with viewer-friendly offerings to World Cup viewers in the Philippines.
According to a report, Aleph will distribute “24/7” sports content, including short-form videos, highlights, behind-the-scenes footage, pre-game, post-game, and live shows.
These materials will be available across free-to-air television, pay TV, digital streaming, mobile, and video-on-demand platforms.
Recently, a local pay TV company joined forces with the FIFA World Cup media rights distributor in the Philippines to bring the tournament closer to Pinoy football fans.
World Cup enthusiasts can secure an “all-access pass” to watch every single one of the record-breaking 104 matches, streaming on their platforms.
To make it more exciting to fans, one platform presents a world-class OTT (Over-the-Top) platform that allows fans to stream live games in high definition, bringing in the electric atmosphere of North American pitches directly to mobile devices, tablets and smart TVs.
One hotel and leisure company is even using the 2026 FIFA World Cup to entice football-loving fans.
They will take advantage of the spectacle by offering live telecasts of the games and will even offer breakfast packages for fans who will watch inside the restaurant.
Viewing parties in restaurants and bars peaked in the heyday of Manny Pacquiao where fans flocked to watch his championship bouts, but perhaps the World Cup will similarly take the nation by storm.
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Hyacinth Estrada 
Tabitha Kongo 
Ren Azrack Escosio