ABS-CBN, GMA-7 both claim ratings leadership

MANILA, Philippines - Rivals ABS-CBN Corp. and GMA Network Inc. claimed ratings leadership for the first month of the year after the historic visit of Pope Francis to the Philippines form Jan. 15 to 19.

ABS-CBN welcomed 2015 strongly as it remains the most watched TV network in the country with an average national audience share of 42 percent, or six points higher compared to GMA’s 36 percent.

Data from Kantar Media for the month of January showed the Lopez-owned company continued its lead in key territories such as Balance Luzon (all areas in Luzon outside Mega Manila) where it got an average total day audience share of 45 percent as against the 36 percent of GMA.

ABS-CBN also dominated the Visayas with an average total day audience share of 56 percent versus GMA’s 26 percent as well as Mindanao with 48 percent against the 31 percent of GMA.

The company maintained its stronghold in the primetime block from 6 pm to 12 midnight with an average audience share of 47 percent compared to GMA’s 33 percent.

Also reigning in the hearts of TV viewers was ABS-CBN’s special coverage of Papal visit as its “Thank You sa Malasakit: Pope Francis sa Pilipinas” got an average national TV rating of 13.2 percent compared to the 10.9 percent rating of GMA’s “Ang People’s Pope sa Pilipinas: A GMA News Special Coverage.”

The company’s live coverage of the 63rd Miss Universe beauty pageant also won in the ratings game with a national TV rating of 16.8 percent.

GMA said in a separate statement that it emerged as the country’s number one TV network in the month of January as it significantly increased its household audience shares across all timeblocks including primetime in NUTAM (National Urban Television Audience Measurement).

 For the period Jan. 1 to 31, GMA recorded a 34.9 percent total day average in NUTAM, higher than ABS-CBN’s 32.8 percent, and TV5’s 11.2 percent.

GMA continued to prevail in the morning block, where it scored 34.2 percent, ahead of ABS-CBN’s 29.9 percent and TV5’s 11.3 percent. It also led competition in the afternoon block with a commanding 36.9 percent from ABS-CBN’s 29 percent and TV5’s 12.5 percent.

GMA increased its primetime audience share over the prior month by 1.6 points to 33.8 percent in January, while ABS-CBN’s primetime audience share dropped 2.6 points.                              

Leading across all dayparts, GMA still remained as the undisputed ratings leader in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, which respectively account for 77 and 59 percent of all urban TV households in the country, with wider share leads over its competitors.

In Urban Luzon, GMA’s total day audience share reached 39.3 percent, leading ABS-CBN’s 29 percent by 10.3 points and TV5’s 9.6 percent by 29.7 points. GMA posted an even bigger margin in its bailiwick Mega Manila with a 41.1 percent average, much higher than ABS-CBN’s 25.7 percent by 15.4 points and TV5’s 10 percent by 31.1 points.