GMA digital content eyed for PLDT’s Cignal TV unit

INDUSTRY giant PLDT Inc. made a pitch for GMA Network Inc. to air certain content on PLDT’s pay-television arm Cignal TV, as GMA prepares to launch its digital television service.

The move was the latest development in an era when the telecommunications sector is seeking closer ties with content providers to reach more customers.

PLDT chair and CEO Manuel V. Pangilinan said their offer to GMA, one of the country’s largest television broadcast companies, was made “recently”, and would also benefit GMA since it would give them added exposure nationwide.

“We’ve offered to them that if they wish to put their content on Cignal TV, we would given them one or more channels,” Pangilinan said late Friday.

He did not detail which of GMA’s programs they were targeting. However, the latter had recently revealed it was finalizing plans for a digital television service.

“They could put their content because they don’t have a pay TV arm,” Pangilinan said.

Cignal TV, a satellite television company controlled by the PLDT Group, had over 1.8 million subscribers in 2015. It mainly competes with ABS-CBN Corp.’s SkyCable. The PLDT Group has its own TV arm, TV5, but its ratings trail that of ABS-CBN and GMA.

Pangilinan added that he did not expect a decision soon, but he was optimistic they could arrive at an agreement.

“I think they’re open to it. I’m sure they have to think about it,” Pangilinan said.

Both PLDT and GMA have a long history of talks, and it was not just over sharing content. PLDT had made several offers to acquire a minority stake in GMA over the last decade but a deal never materialized. Pangilinan said they remained interested in partnering with GMA, but did not comment further.

This latest avenue for cooperation came as GMA chair and CEO Felipe Gozon said last month the broadcast giant was in talks with both PLDT and Globe for a potential partnership in content sharing.

“We have been talking with them, and we are still talking. So I am hoping this will end. We cannot forever be talking with each other,” Gozon had said.

He added the plan was to arrive at a decision before the end of 2016.