GMA 7, ABS-CBN claim nationwide ratings lead

The two television networks in the country Wednesday announced nationwide TV ratings leadership for the month of August, each citing data from different service providers.

GMA Network Inc. said it has grabbed the nationwide TV ratings leadership in August on the back of its strong performance in the daytime blocks, citing data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement. ABS-CBN Corp. also announced yesterday that it continued to lead in terms of August nationwide ratings, this time crediting figures from Kantar Media.

GMA and TV5 subscribe to Nielsen while ABS-CBN is the lone local major TV network that reportedly subscribes to Kantar Media, formerly known as TNS. In Mega Manila, Nielsen gathers data based on a sample size of 1,190 homes as compared to Kantar Media’s 770 homes. Meanwhile, Nielsen has a nationwide urban sample size of 2,000 homes, which is statistically higher than Kantar’s sample size of 1,370.

For the period August 1 to 31 (Aug. 25 to 31 based on overnight ratings), GMA said it triumphed over ABS-CBN in National Urban Television Audience Measurements (Nutam) ratings with a 34.3 percent total day audience share, higher than ABS-CBN’s 33.7 percent and TV5’s 12.9 percent.

In a separate statement, ABS-CBN said its biggest lead came from the profitable primetime segment, which runs from 6 p.m. to midnight, where it posted a 47-percent average audience share compared to GMA’s 32 percent. This propped up the company’s total day audience share to 41 percent against GMA’s 34 percent.

ABS-CBN said it dominated in territories like “Balance Luzon,” which refers to areas outside Mega Manila, with a 49-percent audience share against GMA’s 33 percent.

ABS-CBN said it also cornered 57 percent of Visayas and 62 percent of Mindanao, citing Kantar Media data.

GMA, on the other hand, said that it led in the so-called daytime blocks, cornering 34.3 percent compared to ABS-CBN’s 33.7 percent. TV5, the country’s third-biggest television network, got 12.9 percent.

GMA said it maintained its lead in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, which respectively accounted for 76 and 59 percent of the total urban television households in the country.

GMA recorded an average total day household share of 38.2 percent in Urban Luzon, outscoring ABS-CBN’s 29.8 percent by 8.4 points and TV5’s 12.2 percent by 26 points.

Both firms earlier reported a profit boost in the first six months through June, buoyed by election-related advertising.

GMA Network said net income in the first half rose 12 percent to P1.14 billion while ABS-CBN said its net income hit P1.34 billion, up 44 percent.

Both firms also reported higher revenues, with GMA Network booking P6.73 billion, up 14 percent. ABS-CBN posted consolidated revenues of P17.06 billion from January to June, up 23 percent.