TV networks ratings war continues

GMA Network Inc. said it had maintained its ratings lead in Mega Manila and Urban Luzon last month, propped up by people who watched the first presidential debate involving all candidates in nearly a quarter century.

Its chief rival ABS-CBN Corp. separately said it was leading in nationwide ratings.

Both companies issued their February 2016 ratings figures yesterday, citing data from different  third-party research companies.

GMA, which uses data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement, claimed a 40.1-percent audience share in Urban Luzon, compared to ABS-CBN’s 33 percent and TV5’s 7 percent. For Mega Manila, which includes Metro Manila and nearby provinces, its share was at 41.7 percent against ABS-CBN’s 30.2 percent and TV5’s 7.4 percent.

Urban Luzon accounts for 77 percent of total urban TV households in the country, with Mega Manila accounting for 60 percent.

In the meantime, ABS-CBN, which uses data from Kantar Media, said its nationwide average audience share in February was 45 percent, against GMA’s 35 percent. It also claimed lead in the coveted primetime block, with ratings of 51 percent vs. 32 percent for GMA.

“The primetime block is the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment in to reach more consumers effectively,” ABS-CBN noted.

GMA said February was a “momentous” month as it mounted the first leg of the “PiliPinas Debates 2016” on Feb. 21 in Cagayan de Oro City with print media partner Philippine Daily Inquirer.