GMA Network gets highest audience share nationwide this July and partial August 2011

GMA Network, Inc. (GMA) won over other mainstream television channels as it cornered the highest audience share from all over the Philippines, according to recent household data of the most widely trusted ratings service provider Nielsen TV Audience Measurement.

From a 2.8-point margin over ABS-CBN in total day average household audience share in National Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) in July, GMA further stretched the gap to 3.2 points in partial August (till August 16; August 7 to 16 based on overnight data) with 34.6 points versus competition's 31.4 points.

The lead in August translates to 119,973 households or almost 600,000 more viewers who prefer to watch GMA over ABS-CBN, based on an average of five viewers per TV household.

The growing gap mirrored ABS-CBN's weakening programming as against the same period in 2010. GMA, meanwhile, ups its ratings and programming ante, now running ahead of competition in national television ratings. This value--something other channels did not deliver--won for GMA 40 percent of advertisers' TV ad spending (based on ratecards) from July till the rest of August.

GMA is consistently ahead in the key markets of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila, respectively comprising 77 percent and 58 percent of total television households nationwide, while ABS-CBN is closely losing advantage in the smaller markets of Urban Visayas and Urban Mindanao, respectively comprising 13 percent and 10 percent of the country's total urban television households.

GMA's primetime block was still the most favored evening viewing habit in the important, cost-effective areas of Urban Luzon and Mega Manila. For the block running from 6pm to 12mn, GMA was ahead by 1.7 points in Urban Luzon with 34 points as against ABS-CBN's 32.3 points; while in Mega Manila, GMA had a larger gap of 4.5 points with 35.2 points as against competition's 30.7.

The lead of GMA in Urban Luzon translates to 63,061 households or 315,305 more viewers over ABS-CBN during primetime. Meanwhile, the Kapuso Network's 4.5 lead in viewer-rich Mega Manila translates to 134,646 households or 673,230 more viewers over ABS-CBN using an average of five viewers per TV household.

For July, GMA was dominant in the top 30 programs in Urban Luzon and Mega Manila with 20 entries. In both areas, ABS-CBN's primetime lineup was no match to GMA's. Amaya and Munting Heredera were the top two programs in the areas, while television's longest running noontime variety show Eat Bulaga ranked third--running miles ahead of ABS-CBN's Happy Yipee Yehey!, which had no ranking in either roster.

Meanwhile, GMA's afternoon block (from 12nn to 6pm) remains a showcase of programs with storylines friendly to both viewers and advertisers--the Company's key stakeholders.

In fact, GMA dominated the overall top 10 weekday afternoon programs in NUTAM with six entries. The Company's streak of afternoon dramas composed of Blusang Itim, Sinner or Saint, and Sisid were clearly ahead of ABS-CBN's Kapamilya Gold's Reputasyon and Kapamilya Blockbusters in NUTAM.

From a 13.1-point lead in NUTAM in the afternoon block this July, the gap grew to 15.9 household share points in partial August with GMA scoring 41.1 points versus ABS-CBN's 25.2 points.

In terms of number of televiewers, the lead of 15.9 points meant that 600,265 households or over three million more viewers nationwide were attuned to GMA's afternoon block over ABS-CBN this partial August.

Still in the afternoon block, GMA Network garnered 45.9 household audience share points over ABS-CBN's 19.9 points in Urban Luzon this partial August. The 26 point lead translates to 759,282 households or almost 3.8 million more viewers who preferred the Kapuso programs over those of the competition. In Mega Manila, GMA gathered 47 points compared to ABS-CBN's 18.3 points. The 28.7 point lead meant that 647,938 households or over 3.2 million viewers watched GMA over ABS-CBN in the afternoon block.

Last July 25, the coverage by GMA News and Public Affairs (N&PA) of President Noynoy Aguino's second State of the Nation Address (SONA) billed SONA 2011 was an outstanding winner relative to competition's Ulat sa Bayan.

The Nielsen TV Audience Measurement used by GMA is used by 21 companies including two other local networks, namely, TV5 and Solar Entertainment; Faulkner Media; CBN Asia; 13 advertising agencies and three regional clients. On the other hand, ABS-CBN is the only major local TV network reportedly subscribing to Kantar Media, formerly known as TNS.

Nielsen has been issuing ratings data in Mega Manila since November 2000 with 800 paneled homes in the area. Kantar Media's operations in the area, with a lower sample size of 770 homes, started only in September 2007. Nationwide, Nielsen debuted its ratings service in October 2006 with a total sample size of 2,005 homes. Kantar Media, meanwhile, started nationwide ratings service only in February 2009 with a lower sample size of 1,370 homes.

Courtesy of GMA Network

Posted in: Kapuso