GMA claims ratings lead in Mega Manila

MANILA, Philippines–GMA Network Inc. claimed to have maintained its lead in television ratings in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila for October while chief rival ABS-CBN Corp. said it continued to dominate nationwide ratings, separate statements showed.

GMA Network, using data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, accounted for a 37-percent household audience share in Urban Luzon against ABS-CBN’s 30.8 percent and TV5’s 8.2 percent.

In Mega Manila, GMA cornered a 38.1-percent household audience share against ABS-CBN’s 28.1 percent and TV5’s 8.9 percent.

Urban Luzon and Mega Manila represent 77 percent and 60 percent, respectively, of the total urban TV household population in the country.

GMA noted that it beat other networks in all time blocks in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, including primetime.

ABS-CBN, using data from Kantar Media, claimed an average total day audience share of 44 percent last month, against GMA’s 35 percent.

It added that it led ratings in the 6 p.m. to midnight primetime block, where advertisers allocated a larger share of budgets.

ABS-CBN said it cornered an average national audience share of 49 percent versus GMA’s 34 percent.

ABS-CBN noted that, for Balance Luzon (areas in Luzon outside Mega Manila), it led with an average audience share of 54 percent, in the Visayas with 61 percent, and in Mindanao with 60 percent.

GMA Network’s primetime block, on the other hand, garnered only 32 percent, 26 percent, and 27 percent, respectively, for the said areas.

Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,609 urban and rural homes that represent 100 percent of the total Philippine TV viewing population.