ABS-CBN, GMA not budging on TV ratings

MANILA, Philippines – Rival television networks ABS-CBN Corp. and GMA Network Inc. both claimed top nationwide ratings for the month of November.

In a statement, ABS-CBN, citing Kantar Media data, said it accounted for 44 percent of the total nationwide audience during the month compared to GMA’s 35-percent share.

The network also claimed lead versus rival GMA in terms of ratings per region.

In Luzon, ABS-CBN had a total audience share of 47 percent versus GMA’s 36 percent.

The Lopez-owned network also led in Visayas with a 53 percent audience share compared to GMA’s 28 percent and in Mindanao, with another 53 percent versus GMA’s 30 percent.

ABS-CBN also drew more viewers in the primetime block, which runs from 6 p.m. to 12 midnight, with a score of 46 percent. This is 10 percentage points higher than GMA’s 36 percent ratings during the block.

The primetime block is considered the most important part of the day as it is when most Filipinos watch TV, making it an attractive segment for firms to put the bulk of their advertising budget.

ABS-CBN said it also kept its leadership in the digital platform through its video-on-demand service, iWant TV, with over six million subscribers.

The network said its partnership with PLDT Inc. enabled more Filipinos, particularly PLDT and Smart subscribers, to access iWant TV’s TV shows and other content.

Kantar Media which provides TV audience measurement, uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes representing 100 percent of the total Philippine TV viewing population.

In a separate statement, GMA Network said it has widened its lead over competition in nationwide ratings in November, based on data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

The network recorded a nationwide household audience share of 37.8 percent versus ABS-CBN’s 34.6 percent.

In urban Luzon, GMA said it accounted for 42.5 percent of the audience share compared to its rival’s 30.2 percent. Urban Luzon represents 77 percent of the total urban TV household population in the country.