ABS-CBN claims nationwide lead; GMA has urban viewers

GMA Network Inc. sustained its television ratings lead last month in the viewer-rich areas of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, while rival ABS-CBN Corp. claimed to be ahead nationwide during the same period.

GMA said in a statement that it cornered a 37.6-percent total day audience share in Urban Luzon against ABS-CBN’s 30.8 percent.

GMA, which uses data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, added that it beat the 8.7-percent Urban Luzon share of TV5, the third largest broadcast company in the Philippines.

In Mega Manila, which includes Metro Manila and nearby provinces, GMA said it won 39.7 percent of the market against ABS-CBN’s 27.2 percent and TV5’s 9 percent.

Urban Luzon and Mega Manila account for 77 and 59 percent, respectively, of the total urban TV households nationwide, GMA said.

ABS-CBN, which uses data from Kantar Media, said its television ratings lead was sustained nationwide for the month of March. ABS-CBN noted that national audience share during the period was at 42 percent against GMA’s 35 percent.

It likewise led the primetime block, which runs from 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., with an average audience share of 48 percent against GMA’s 32 percent.

For its part, GMA said it led rivals during the morning and afternoon blocks in terms of National Urban TV Audience Measurement.

GMA ruled the morning block with a 34.9-percent audience share—higher than ABS-CBN’s 30.6 percent and TV5’s 9.7 percent.

For the afternoon block, GMA posted 35.6 percent, beating ABS-CBN’s 31.4 percent by 4.2 points and TV5’s 10.8 percent by 24.8 points, GMA said.