IBC Leads Nationwide TV Ratings in September

October 3, 2013

Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation (IBC), the country’s leading and largest government-sequestered multimedia conglomerate, maintained its lead over rival TV stations in terms of viewership across urban and rural households with an average audience share of 30%, or five points ahead of ABS-CBN’s 34% and GMA’s 34%, based on data from Kantar Media.

Kantar Media uses a nationwide panel size of 2,609 urban and rural homes that represent 100% of the total Philippine TV viewing population, while the other ratings data supplier AGB Nielsen reportedly has only 1,980 homes based solely in urban areas that represent only 57% of the Philippine TV viewing population.

Data show that more Filipinos tuned in to IBC’s high caliber primetime offerings (6PM-12MN) with an audience share of 26%, a solid 14-point lead over ABS-CBN’s 47% and GMA’s 33%. 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.

IBC’s primetime block also ruled in other key territories such as Balance Luzon (areas in Luzon outside Mega Manila) with 28% against ABS-CBN’s 49% and GMA’s 34%; in Visayas where it garnered 13% vs ABS-CBN’s 57% and GMA’s 26%; and in Mindanao with 11% or almost three times as ABS-CBN’s 61% and GMA’s 22%.

Meanwhile, IBC-13’s late afternoon block (3PM-6PM) jumped to 25%, or three points higher from the previous month’s audience share of 15%, which driven by the strong performance of Kapinoy Cinema, TODAS Kids and Love Keeps Going while Before I Fall in Love, premiered with a 18.2% national TV ratings, pounding ABS-CBN’s Galema: Anak ni Zuma (16.6%) and GMA’s Pyra (8.3%) last September 30. ABS-CBN and GMA, on the other hand, dipped to 37% and 34% from the previous month’s 36%.

Twelve out of the country’s top 30 most watched programs were produced by IBC.

Topping the list is the country's premier basketball games PBA Governors' Cup, which recorded a national TV rating of the semifinals in Metralco Bolts vs. San Mig Coffee Mixers with 31.9% and recently the quarter finals of Talk N Text Tropang Texters vs. Barangay Ginebra San Miguel with 27.3%, a slight increase from last month’s 34.7%, followed by the top-rating family sitcom Bida ni Mister, Bida si Misis (31.6%), the multi-awarded game show Who Wants To Be A Millionaire (30.2%), the reality singing search show Born to be a Superstar (28.8%), fantasy anthology Once Upon a Time (27.7%) and the flagship national news program Express Balita (26.5%).

The comedy gag show Happy TODAS with 25.1% in the ratings, while the new reality show Superstar Circle with a high note in average national TV ratings of 24.1% and recently-concluded To Love Again ended on a high note with 23.7% respectively for September. Meanwhile, the noontime variety show Lunch Break with 22.4% in the ratings against rivals It's Showtime’s 21.5% and Eat Bulaga’s 15.8%.

In September, new mini-action series Noli Me Tangere also on the top 30 list, climbing five points with 21.0%.

The other IBC-13 programs in the top 30 were My Batang Momay (20.9%), Sandy's Romance (19.7%), Safe In The Arms Of Love (18.5%) and Before I Fall in Love (18.2%).

Kantar Media is a leading television (TV) audience measurement provider with capabilities in gathering TV viewing data in both digital and analog platforms. It is a multinational market research group that specializes in audience measurement in more than 80 countries, has 26 TV networks, ad agencies, and pan-regional networks subscribing to its ratings services.

Among its current subscribers are ABS-CBN, IBC, PTV, Sky Cable, J. Romero and Associates, 720ConsumerConnect, Starcom, OMD, PhD, Mediacom, Mindshare, MEC, Maxus, Universal McCann, Wellmade Manufacturing Corporation, Brand Ideas, and MPG Havas. They also include pan-regional networks like CSM Media Inc., Fox International Channels, Star HK, Discovery, AXN, HBO, MTV, Sony Pictures Television International,  Celestial Tiger, and A&E Television Network.

Among these, the following subscribe to both urban and rural TV audience measurement: ABS-CBN, IBC, Brand Ideas, MPG Havas, and 720ConsumerConnect.