RIVAL television stations ABS-CBN Corp. and GMA Network Inc. on Tuesday both claimed that they cornered the majority of audience share in February.
The Lopez-led ABS-CBN Corp. said it was dominant nationwide, while the Gozon-led GMA 7 announced its lead in viewership in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila.
Citing a Kantar Media survey, ABS-CBN said it ended February as the most-watched network, with an average national audience share of 42 percent, or 7 points higher than GMA Network’s 35 percent.
ABS-CBN also claimed that it has kept its stronghold in the prime-time block, with a recorded share of 48 percent, higher by 17 points than GMA 7’s 31 percent.
The prime-time block is the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and where advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment to reach more consumers effectively.
ABS-CBN also led the late-afternoon block, with an average audience share of 39 percent, in February.
Meanwhile, GMA Network said it led in all-time blocks across Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, where it scored substantial margins over rival networks in 2013.
In Urban Luzon GMA Network said it reduced rival ABS-CBN’s 30-percent audience share by 6.9 points to 36.9 percent in total day ratings.
GMA Network also maintained its overall lead in its bailiwick Mega Manila, with 38.7 percent, while rival ABS-CBN cornered only 29.5 percent in audience share.
Urban Luzon and Mega Manila account for 77 percent and 59 percent, respectively, of all urban TV households in the country.
The Gozon-led media company also saw its ratings rise in the daytime block of the National Urban TV Audience Measurement. GMA Network’s morning audience share reached 32.8 percent, higher by 2.1 points than ABS-CBN’s 30.7 percent.
In the afternoon block, GMA Network defeated competition with its 35.8-percent average, ahead of ABS-CBN’s 30 percent, by 5.8 points.
Nielsen TV Audience Measurement had a sample size of 1,190 households in Mega Manila and a 2,000 nationwide urban sample size, while Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,609 urban and rural homes.
Lorenz S. Marasigan