GMA Network’s 2013 Ratings Capture Urban Luzon, Mega Manila

Broadcast giant GMA Network, Inc. (GMA) dominated viewer-rich Urban Luzon and Mega Manila in all dayparts in 2013, effectively keeping its lead over rival networks, according to data from the industry’s leading ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

Irish Joy P. Abarquez, GMA Corporate Communications officer, said that the Pacquiao-Rios match titled ‘Pacquiao vs. Rios Fight as One’ which aired on GMA Channel 7 in November, topped the charts in NUTAM (National Urban Television Audience Measurement), Urban Luzon, and Mega Manila covering the entire year.

Abarquez added that from January to December 2013 (December 15 to 31 based on overnight data), GMA recorded an average total day audience share of 36 percent in Urban Luzon, which makes up 77 percent of the total urban television households in the country, impressively ahead of ABS-CBN’s 30.8 percent by 5.2 points and of TV5’s 12.8 percent by 23.2 points.

She also told that multi-awarded news magazine program ‘Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho’ (KMJS) and GMA’s remake of ‘Anna Karenina’ also made it to the top 10 shows in Urban Luzon along with the Pacquiao-Rios bout.

The ‘Kapuso’ Network similarly kept its ratings edge in its bailiwick Mega Manila with a 37.2 percent average total day audience share.

Abarquez also hinted that ABS-CBN trailed behind GMA by 8.4 points with 28.8 percent while TV5 was behind by 23.5 points with only 13.7 percent. Mega Manila notably accounts for 59 percent of the all urban television households nationwide.

She said that GMA captured majority of the slots in the list of top-performing programs (including specials) in Mega Manila with 17 out of 30. Following closely behind the Pacquiao-Rios fight and ‘Anna Karenina’ in the top 10 are KMJS, GMA Flash Report: Pangulong Aquino, Hindi Kami Nagnakaw at Hindi Kami Magnanakaw, primetime soap ‘Mundo Mo’y Akin’ and weekly drama anthology ‘Magpakailanman’.

She added that the list also includes the local adaptation of ‘Temptation of Wife,’ ‘The One: Floyd Mayweather Jr. and Canelo Alvarez,’the widely successful drama ‘My Husband’s Lover, the groundbreaking epicserye ‘Indio, GMA’s weeknight primetime newscast ’24 Oras’, the country’s first reality sitcom ‘Pepito Manaloto: Ang Tunay na Kuwento’, primetime drama series ‘Pahiram ng Sandali’, weekend comedy ‘Vampire Ang Daddy Ko’, Saturday night game show ‘Celebrity Bluff, another GMA primetime series ‘Aso ni San Roque’ and the GMA airing of the Mayweather versus Robert Guerrero boxing welterweight championship match.

Abarquez also revealed that this 2014, GMA is gearing up to unveil a fresh slate of programs both in the afternoon and primetime blocks. The first quarter alone will see the launch of six original Kapuso dramas namely: ‘Carmela’ starring Kapuso Primetime Queen Marian Rivera and Alden Richards; ‘Rhodora X’ featuring Jennylyn Mercado, Mark Herras, Yasmien Kurdi and Mark Anthony Fernandez; and ‘Kambal Sirena’ headlined by Louise delos Reyes and Aljur Abrenica on primetime; and ‘The Borrowed Wife’ starring Camille Prats, Pauleen Luna, Rafael Rosell and TJ Trinidad; ‘Paraiso Ko’y Ikaw’ featuring Kristoffer Martin and Kim Rodriguez; and ‘Innamorata’ topbilled by Max Collins on GMA Afternoon Prime.

She told that GMA and TV5 subscribe to Nielsen TV Audience Measurement while ABS-CBN is the lone local major TV network that reportedly subscribes to Kantar Media, formerly known as TNS.

It was learned that in Mega Manila, Nielsen TV Audience Measurement gathers data based on a sample size of 1,190 homes as compared to Kantar Media’s 770 homes. Meanwhile, Nielsen has a nationwide urban sample size of 2,000 homes, which is statistically higher than Kantar’s sample size of 1,370, according Abarquez.