ABS-CBN expands nationwide lead over GMA Network

MANILA, Philippines - ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp. continued to expand its nationwide lead over GMA Network with its audience share rising to 48 percent as of end-December last year as against the latter’s 31 percent, based on the survey conducted by global research specialist Taylor Nelson Sofres (TNS).

ABS-CBN attributed the 17 percentage point lead to the strong focus of the network with its core viewers, its commitment to production quality, improvements in TV reception, its great storytelling and powerhouse star cast with its popular television series.

The momentum was significantly noticeable with the shift in Mega Manila audience share. ABS-CBN has cut down the lead of its competition from nine-percentage points in February (ABS-CBN 34 percent versus GMA 43 percent) down to only two percentage points in December (ABS-CBN 37percent versus GMA 39 percent).

Metro Manila, which comprises the majority of Mega Manila, drove the Mega Manila audience shift from ABS-CBN’s 37 percent against the competition’s 40 percent share in February to ABS-CBN leading Metro Manila with 39 percent against the competition’s steadily dwindling share down to 35 percent by yearend.

Throughout the country, ABS-CBN is still the undisputed national leader with its overall 2009 performance of 45 percent audience share versus GMA’s 34 percent as it also exhibited a runaway leadership in Luzon areas outside Mega Manila with 49 percent audience share against the competition’s 32 percent; in Visayas with 62 percent versus 22 percent; and in Mindanao, had a lead of 70 percent against 15 percent. 

Fourteen out of the Top 15 national regular programs of 2009 were produced by ABS-CBN with the competition’s best bet, taking only the 11th slot.

ABS-CBN is in the business of producing world-class entertainment, news and information programs. This content is distributed primarily in the Philippines through its flagship station in Mega Manila, ABS-CBN Channel 2.

The media giant also airs in free-to-air UHF on Studio 23 and operates the country’s leading radio network consisting of 3 AM band stations and 14 in the FM band.

Aside from this, ABS-CBN owns SkyCable, the country’s largest cable television service provider which has close to 500,000 upscale subscribers in Metro Manila and key urban areas nationwide.

ABS-CBN is also into movie production via Star Cinema, which has cornered 75 percent of the local film market based on gross box office receipts. It also leads the local music production and distribution outfit in the country through Star Records.

Another unit of ABS-CBN, ABS-CBN Publishing offers 14 glossy magazine titles, addressing the needs of the Philippine upscale market with features on fashion and lifestyle, gossip and entertainment, culinary arts, interior design, sports, and male-specific interests.

Blazing the trail in new media technology, ABS-CBN Interactive pioneered traditional media and SMS tie-ups in the country with the launch of TV text promos and TV polls / voting systems.