GMA Network sees more potential projects with ABS-CBN

MANILA, Philippines — The bond that former rivals GMA Network Inc. and ABS-CBN Corp. have formed is seen to get stronger as the Gozon-led media conglomerate hinted at potentially having further collaborations, especially because the popular noontime show “It’s Showtime” has been beefing up TV ratings for the Kapuso channel.

Gilberto Duavit Jr., GMA Network president and CEO, said in a virtual stockholders’ meeting on Wednesday said they have had a “smooth” working relationship with the Lopez-led media group since teaming up after the latter lost its free TV franchise in 2020.

“The collaboration between GMA and ABS-CBN with the respect to the airing of It’s Showtime is actually preceded by a number of partnerships, all of which have been smooth, been characterized by reasonableness, and have benefitted all the parties,” he said.

READ: GMA Network-ABS-CBN deal a win-win for erstwhile rivals

Prior to airing via the GMA channel in April, “It’s Showtime” has been shown via GTV (Good Television) since last year.

“Having said that, there is no reason not to assume that there may be future collaborations or partnerships,” he added.

More collaborations

Duavit also noted the noon-time show hosted by show business personalities Vice Ganda and Anne Curtis, among others, has been drawing in more audience since its airing.

“The ratings have been improved quite substantially in comparison to the ratings of the noon-time program which it replaced,” he said.

The official was referring to “Tahanang Pinakamasaya,” which was under the management of Television and Production Exponents (TAPE) Inc.

READ: From rivals to partners: ABS-CBN opens streaming platform to GMA

While no specific TV ratings for the shows were disclosed, it was reported that GMA ranked first in audience share based on Nielsen National Urban TV Audience Measurement with 44.1 percent and Nielsen Total Philippines with 41.8 percent in 2023.

Last year, the media giants signed their historic co-production agreement for a TV series titled “Unbreak My Heart,” which was top-billed by artists from both networks.

The parties also established a partnership allowing GMA’s international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV, along with some of its on-demand programs, to be aired on ABS-CBN’s iWantTFC.

AI-based system

Meanwhile, Duavit shared their company’s initiatives in implementing artificial intelligence (AI) to improve content production.

“Embracing the rapid advancements in AI, our post-production team has adopted an innovative AI-driven video-image enhancement solution for select content,” he said.

Moving forward, the GMA chief said the media conglomerate intends to use an AI-based system this year for close captioning and subtitling efforts.

“As times and audiences incessantly change, we leave no stone unturned in fulfilling our commitment to continuously grow and evolve, as we further build our audiences, maintain our relevance, and be where our audiences are, whether in or out of their homes,” Duavit said.

In the first quarter, GMA saw its net income decline by 66 percent to P204.12 million in the first quarter as advertising revenues dropped and total operating expenses rose.