What’s next for Philippine TV in 2026?

CEBU, Philippines — January 1 marked the end of the ABS-CBN and TV5 partnership, as it was the last day that Kapamilya programming was shown on the Kapatid network.

This, after TV5 issued a termination notice of its five-year content agreement with ABS-CBN, citing alleged unpaid fees. Days after, ABS-CBN announced that AMBS has signed a licensing agreement to air Kapamilya Channel on free TV through ALLTV, marking the company’s full return to its former frequency, Channel 2.

ABS-CBN also stated that it has settled its obligations to TV5 and expressed gratitude toward Manuel V. Pangilinan for allowing his network to air its Kapamilya shows following the loss of its franchise in 2020.

As both networks part ways, questions arise about what this means for the future of Philippine television.

New primetime schedule

Following the exodus of ABS-CBN shows from TV5, the Kapatid network announced a temporary primetime lineup.

On weekdays starting January 2, the TodoMax Primetime Singko block will be dominated by the movie block CineCinco, with MQuest’s critically acclaimed MMFF historical drama “Gomburza” as its opening salvo.

Jiggy Manicad’s news program “Una sa Lahat” remains at 5:30 p.m., while the Kapatid flagship news program “Frontline Pilipinas” will be extended to 90 minutes, airing from 6 to 7:30 p.m. — just 30 minutes earlier than competing programs ABS-CBN’s "TV Patrol" and GMA’s "24 Oras," which airs at 6:30 p.m.

Meanwhile, the MQuest-Viva action series “Totoy Bato,” starring Kiko Estrada, will air from 7:30 to 8:30 p.m., which used to be a pre-programming to "FPJ’s Batang Quiapo."

Following CineCinco is the late-night news edition “Frontline Tonight” at 10:30 p.m., going head-to-head against "The World Tonight" and "Saksi," followed by music show “Vibe Nights” at 11:30 p.m.

On weekends, replays of the horror-drama series “Kagat ng Dilim” will occupy ABS-CBN’s 8 p.m. slot, airing at 8:15 p.m. on Saturdays and 8:30 p.m. on Sundays, while a replay of “Padyak Princess” starring Miles Ocampo will occupy the Sunday noontime slot formerly held by ASAP.

The talk show "TikTalks," hosted by Korina Sanchez, will occupy the 9:30 p.m. slot, replacing her own magazine show "Rated Korina," which was co-produced by ABS-CBN.

TV5 has also announced an upcoming slate of programs, including the Philippine remake of “The Good Doctor”, “A Secret in Prague”, “My Bespren Emman”, and “Magic Boys”, though it’s unclear whether these series will occupy the weeknight primetime slots or aired weekly on the weekends.

Since AMBS signed a licensing agreement with ABS-CBN, ALLTV effectively serves as a free TV simulcast of the cable Kapamilya Channel, with promos emphasizing the collaboration as Kapamilya Channel sa ALLTV.

While the extent of the simulcast is still unclear, if ALLTV’s programming consists entirely of ABS-CBN content, it’s expected that the network’s fresh primetime offerings — including "FPJ’s Batang Quiapo," "Roja," and "What Lies Beneath" — will air on ALLTV, signaling the return of Primetime Bida on free TV after "TV Patrol," which has already aired on ALLTV since April 2024.

"It’s Showtime" will also air on ALLTV, alongside GMA and A2Z on free TV, while "Pinoy Big Brother: Celebrity Collab Edition 2.0" will continue on GMA.

On weekends, "ASAP" is expected to air a live episode on January 4, signaling the new era of ABS-CBN’s partnership with ALLTV, while the fourth season of “Your Face Sounds Familiar” will continue airing there.

Network wars, or network collab?

ABS-CBN’s full return to free TV via ALLTV raises a question: Will the Kapamilya network continue its collaboration era, or is this the return of the ratings war once declared over by a GMA executive? Answers vary, given the current TV market landscape.

TV5 has the advantage of more analog and digital stations, while AMBS is still new with a limited number of stations. However, the strong loyalty of the Kapamilya fanbase and the advantage of airing in HD with fresh programming may give ALLTV and ABS-CBN a head start.

ABS-CBN and GMA, once fierce competitors, have enjoyed the benefits of their collaboration — from the box office success of “Hello, Love, Again”, to the ratings success of “It’s Showtime” in the Kapuso noontime slot, as well as the massive success of “PBB: Celebrity Collab Edition”, where former Kapuso and Kapamilya housemates frequently appeared in each other’s territory.

The success of the first Celeb Collab season prompted many housemates to star in this year’s Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), with Will Ashley, Dustin Yu, and Bianca De Vera appearing in “Love You So Bad”, alongside Xyriel Manabat, Ralph De Leon, and Vince Maristela.

Ashley and Yu also starred in different MMFF entries: Ashley in “Bar Boys: After School” with Klarrise De Guzman, and Yu in “Shake, Rattle and Roll: Evil Origins.” Other housemates — including De Guzman, Shuvee Etrata, Brent Manalo, Mika Salamanca, Esnyr, and River Joseph — are part of the cast of “Call Me Mother,” reportedly the top-grossing film in this year’s festival.

The success of PBB also led to ABS-CBN and GMA working on a second teleserye, “Secrets of Hotel 88,” produced by Star Creatives. It stars many of the aforementioned housemates, with the addition of AZ Martinez, Josh Ford, and Kira Balinger, solidifying PBB as a phenomenon that highlighted the strong relationship between GMA and ABS-CBN.

Lending in-house talents to other networks has also become common post-ABS-CBN shutdown. Star Magic talents such as John Arcilla and Vina Morales are starring in GMA teleseryes: Arcilla reprising his role as the villainous Hagorn in “Encantadia Chronicles: Sang'gre”, and Morales in “Cruz vs. Cruz” and the upcoming “Born to Shine.”

While GMA and TV5 are positioned as rivals, Sparkle actress Ai-Ai delas Alas will appear in TV5’s upcoming teleserye “My Bespren Emman”, with permission from her Kapuso bosses. Delas Alas also made her music comeback under ABS-CBN’s Star Music with the release of the single, “Haliparot, Delulu.”

Several Star Magic talents are slated to appear on TV5 as well, including Shaina Magdayao and JM De Guzman in "My Bespren Emman," while Sue Ramirez will reprise her role in the sequel series of the MMFF film "The Kingdom" as well as in “The Good Doctor.”

This development suggests that while a ratings war may persist, competition is no longer as intense as before. With them competing against streaming platforms for audiences’ attention, a balanced mix of competition and collaboration may prove key to survival for the country’s three major networks — mirroring Western TV practices, where a show produced by one network’s in-house studio can air on a rival network. — (FREEMAN)