Survey: GMA7 leads in full-day ratings, ABS-CBN has ‘primetime’ dominance

Listed television station GMA Network continued to dominate nationwide full-day ratings for the month of January, the company said on Friday.

But the lead for the key primetime slot, where bulk of corporate advertising budgets are spent, remained with rival ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corp.

Based on household data recorded during the entire month, GMA had a 36.7-percent average household audience share points in total day ratings, higher by 7.7 points than ABS-CBN’s 29 percent.

GMA gets its ratings research from AGB Nielsen, which was sued for alleged data tampering by ABS-CBN. The case is currently pending before the Court of Appeals.

For nationwide primetime ratings, meanwhile, AGB Nielsen’s survey showed ABS-CBN ahead with an audience share of 35.7 percent, which was lower by 0.2 percentage points from the previous month, but still higher than GMA’s 33.1 percent in the same period. GMA said its own score was an improvement from 31.8 points at the end of December.

GMA said it remained confident, despite being behind in nationwide primetime scores, due to the company’s dominance in key areas of the country.

In Total Urban Luzon, which comprises over 77 percent of total television households nationwide, GMA posted double-digit leads over ABS-CBN and TV5. GMA had 39.9 percent of households versus ABS-CBN’s 25.5 percent.

“GMA’s solid programming therefore won approximately two million more viewers than ABS-CBN and about 3.5 million more viewers over TV5 in this area,” the company said.

In Mega Manila, which now makes up more than 59 percent of total urban television households nationwide due to the recently added panel homes in Batangas and Laguna, GMA registered stronger double-digit margins over competing stations.

GMA recorded 40 percent in the Mega Manila area against ABS-CBN’s 23.8 percent.

GMA maintained that ratings from AGB Nielsen was still the most liable in the industry, despite assertions from ABS-CBN, which subscribes to data from Kantar Media.

GMA said ratings from AGB Nielsen are based on surveys that cover more homes, and are therefore more reflective of the realities in the market.