IBC International marks milestone as No.1 Pinoy channel in M. East, N. Africa

Friday, April 28, 2014

OSN senior vice president Emad Morcos and IBC International vice-president Lito Ocampo Cruz shake hands after renewing their partnership in the Middle East and North Africa.

Now with over 1.3 million viewers in the Middle East and North Africa,  International is now the first most watched Filipino channel in both regions.

This was jointly announced by Lito Ocampo Cruz, IBC International vice-president and Emad Morcos, senior vice president for the Dubai-based Orbit Showtime Network (OSN), the number 1 pay TV platform in the Middle East and North Africa, which carries both Global IBC and INN International.

Ramirez and Morcos made the announcement during the “Celebrate a Milestone” event held Thursday at the Makati Shangri-La Hotel. “This is a huge milestone for IBC International as not only are we celebrating a successful partnership but we are also celebrating the fact that our young channels already enjoy 1.3 million viewers in the Middle East, surpassing some other channels. This is significant, and we are very proud of how far we have come in just a matter of three years,” Cruz shared.

In renewing their partnership, Morcos is confident of achieving OSN’s goal “to be present in every Filipino household in the Middle East and North Africa and to serve as the bridge that connects overseas Filipinos to their homes here in the Philippines.”

“With the renewal of our partnership with IBc International, we are one step closer to that goal,” he added.

In its presentation, the OSN revealed the most watched Pinoy shows in those two regions are Express Balita, 13 Original Movie/Sine 13, Who Wants to be a Millionaire, The Million Second Quiz, Born to be a Superstar, Last Fool Show, DMZ-TV, KapinoyLand, Iskul Bukol Men, Sandy's Romance and Happy TODAS for Global IBC and the PBA, Linawin Natin, Bitag, Good Take and the NBA for INN International.

Morcos added that Pinoy viewers were particularly big on 13 Original Movie’s In Love with You, which is the timeless love team of superstar Jodi Sta. Maria anbd Richard Yap, and A Runaway Bride, a wedding drama starring Mario Maurer and Erich Gonzales.

For his part, IBC International head of operations Ernesto Maipid, Jr. told IBC News that the unprecedented growth of IBC in the Middle East and North Africa “only goes to show that our content is widely watched and we have a good collection of programs that Filipinos really appreciate.”

Asked if the current number 1 ranking of IBC International can still improve further, Lito said that it will only be a matter of time before the number 1 seed in the region is achieved.

“Eventually we will be co-leaders with the current number 1 because we have the same carrier in the Middle East, the same platform, same Pinoy bundle. For example, if a subscriber buys into the Pinoy bundle, mapapanood na niya lahat so sama-sama na kami together,” Lito elaborated.

Lito further noted that because of IBC International’s wide reach in the region, newer popular hit shows such as Janella in Wonderland, Your Heart, My Love, Crazy Little Thing Called Love and Sir Chief Loves Maya are assured of strong viewership as Filipinos working and living in the region are likewise looking forward to new TV offerings aside from their existing favorites.

With nearly 140 channels offering premium Western, Arabic, South Asian and Filipino entertainment in the region, OSN also publishes its own popular TV Guide magazine with a circulation of 100,000 and last year, launched its own OSN Play mobile app for Android and iOS which now has over 120,000 users.

Global IBC and INN International are currently being viewed by Filipinos all over the world through DirecTV, Indiovision and DISH Network in the United States; Shaw Cable, Rogers Cable, Bell, Next TV, Juan TV and AEBC in Canada; OSN in the Middle East and North Africa; Astro in Malaysia, MCV Broadband in Guam, FetchTV in Australia; StarHub TV in Singapore, among others.