ABS-CBN Corp. and GMA Network Inc. on Monday both claimed higher nationwide television ratings throughout 2018.
The multimedia company owned by the Lopez Group said it topped all TV networks in urban and rural areas nationwide in 2018, gaining an average audience share of 45 percent for the whole year (excluding Holy Week) against GMA’s 32 percent, based on data from Kantar Media.
Multinational audience measurement provider Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,610 urban and rural homes that represent 100 percent of the total Philippine TV viewing population.
In 2018, ABS-CBN was the network of choice by Filipinos in Metro Manila, where it scored an average audience share of 42 percent against GMA’s 26 percent.
ABS-CBN also started gaining ground last year in Mega Manila and capped off the year by registering an average audience share of 36 percent versus GMA’s 34 percent.
GMA Network, meanwhile, continued to lead in nationwide ratings throughout 2018 based on full-year data from Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.
From January to December, GMA tallied a 40.8-percent total day people audience share, which bested ABS-CBN’s 37.5 percent, in the National Urban Television Audience Measurement.
The network was also the most watched station in both Urban Luzon and Mega Manila—winning across all day parts including the hotly contested primetime block. Urban Luzon and Mega Manila respectively account for 76 percent and 59 percent of all urban viewers in the country.
Full year 2018 data showed GMA still kept a double-digit advantage in Urban Luzon with a 45.9-percent total day people audience share while its rival only managed to get 31.5 percent.
With official data from January up to December 22, the network posted an even bigger margin in its bailiwick Mega Manila with 47.7 percent, which was way ahead of ABS-CBN’s 28.7 percent.
GMA registered a 38-percent total day people audience share in NUTAM for the month of December against ABS-CBN’s 34.8 percent.