The much-anticipated 2019 SEA Games Opening Ceremony at the Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan will air LIVE exclusively on ABS-CBN on November 30 (Saturday) starting 6:50 pm, with livestreaming on iWant, and replay on S+A at 10 pm.

The courage, excellence, and fighting heart of the Filipinos will once again be in full display as our national athletes begin their campaign in the 2019 Southeast Asian (SEA) Games. Filipinos all over the nation can watch and cheer for our athletes as ABS-CBN Sports, the sports arm of the country’s leading media and entertainment company, takes part in bringing the stories of our athletes to the forefront with a multiplatform coverage of the prestigious regional multi-sport competition.

House Speaker and Philippine SEA Games Organizing Committee (PHISGOC) Chair Alan Peter Cayetano said in an interview with ABS-CBN News that the much-awaited opening of the biennial games will be spectacular, as the same creative team that had produced other Olympic programs are working behind it.

“If you have seen some openings sa Olympics halos ganoon yung standard kasi ang gumawa sa opening has made more than 30 openings whether Asian Games, Olympic Games, and it will focus doon sa sariling atin but it will be using more modern technology.”

He added that with ABS-CBN as broadcast partner, Filipinos will be able to watch wherever they may be.

“It will really be a great show. We believe that all Filipinos should have the opportunity to watch and since hindi naman lahat makapunta doon live it’s a big big privilege and honor to have ABS-CBN cover it live so that not only can all Filipinos win as one but enjoy the opening ceremonies as one,” he said.

Apart from the opening ceremonies, matches in popular sports like volleyball and football will also air live exclusively on ABS-CBN S+A on free TV, LIGA on cable TV, with livestreaming on iWant. Games will also be broadcast on high definition on S+A HD and LIGA HD, while there will be two SEA Games Freeview channels on SKY. The closing ceremonies will also be live on these platforms on December 11 at 6:30 pm.

ABS-CBN Sports’ coverage of the men’s football competition kicked off on Monday (November 25) with the first match of the Philippine men’s football team, while the Philippine women’s football team debuted the following day.

Meanwhile, the volleyball competition, which will be headlined by local sports heroes like Marck Espejo and Bryan Bagunas from the men’s national team and Alyssa Valdez and Aby Marano from the women’s national team, will begin on December 2 (Men’s) and December 3 (Women’s). A special documentary entitled “Sambansa, One Country, One Goal” about our women’s volleyball team’s quest for SEA Games glory will also be aired on S+A on Saturday (November 30) at 6 pm.

Apart from football and volleyball, ABS-CBN Sports will also show highlights of other SEA Games events like swimming, gymnastics, and track and field, and performances of our gold medal-winning athletes on “The Score: Galing Natin Ito” anchored by Mico Halili that will air from December 1 to 11 at 9 am and 8 pm on S+A.

ABS-CBN Integrated Sports head Dino Laurena encourages the public to watch and cheer for our representatives, whether live in the venue or on TV or online.

“After countless hours of hard work and sacrifice in training and competing here and abroad, it’s finally time for our athletes to compete against the best in our region. They deserve our all-out support as they are fighting not only for their dreams but also to give joy and hope to our people,” he said.

Apart from football and volleyball matches, iWant will also stream all games for gymnastics and aquatics, and selected events in athletics. Games in men’s basketball, 3×3, and weightlifting featuring Hidilyn Diaz will also be available on demand.

Early this year, ABS-CBN launched the National Cheer Campaign to celebrate Filipino greatness and to rally people to unite and bring honor to the country. The campaign’s anthem “Isigaw Mo #GalingNatinIto,” sung by over 20 OPM artists, will be featured in ABS-CBN Sports’ coverage of the SEA Games.

For sports news and full schedule of ABS-CBN Sports’ coverage of the 2019 SEA Games, tune in on ABS-CBN S+A, follow @ABSCBNSports on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or visit sports.abs-cbn.com and iwant.ph.

For updates, follow @ABSCBNPR on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, or visit www.abs-cbn.com/newsroom.