CELEBRITY WORLD PH
By Crispina M. Belen
GMA Network's Milestones: Digital Success, Strategic Partnerships, and Film Ventures
Aside from its dominance on air, GMA Network, the Philippine media giant, has also emerged as a trailblazer in the digital space as it expands its presence to grow online audiences and adapt to TV viewers' viewing habits.
GMA Network President and CEO Gilberto R. Duavit, Jr. highlighted the Network's digital strides at the GMA Annual Stockholders' Meeting, which was conducted virtually last Wednesday, May 15.
"We continued to expand our presence in the digital space, more solidly establishing our relevance to the growing online audiences, particularly in the key social media platforms. Through all our content-producing teams within the Network and its subsidiaries, we've expanded our content offerings, ramped up the volume of exclusive digital content, and implemented specific strategies to enhance audience growth while improving engagement and audience diversity," said Duavit.
GMA Network's digital online ad revenue, inclusive of its websites, grew 72 percent year- on-year.
The Network's official online channels on YouTube, Facebook, and TikTok had 45.2 billion video views in 2023, a 38 percent increase from 2022.
GMA also witnessed a substantial uptick in subscribers and followers across its official social media platforms, reaching a combined total of 345.6 million at the end of 2023, a 17 percent increase from the preceding year.
In line with the evolving landscape of media consumption, GMA Network launched the Kapuso Stream in 2023. The platform allows Kapuso audiences to livestream the Network's programs in high definition across multiple internet-enabled devices, complementing its pervasive terrestrial TV reach and coverage.
The GMA Mobile App also saw a notable surge in downloads. By the end of 2023, it had accumulated 3.86 million downloads, a 17 percent increase from 2022's 3.28 million.
Still the Country's Leading Broadcast Network
GMA Network remains at the forefront of the country's broadcast media landscape, maintaining its lead across TV and Radio.
GMA, the Network's main channel, was number one among all TV stations nationwide, according to data from Nielsen National Urban TV Audience Measurement (NUTAM) and Nielsen Total Philippines (PHINTAM) People Audience Shares in 2023. GTV, the Network's second Free to Air channel, ranked third.
Kapuso programs also dominated ratings in 2023. NUTAM and PHINTAM People Ratings showed 29 out of the Top 30 programs were from GMA, with "24 Oras" and "Kapuso Mo, Jessica Soho" leading the list.
Further, GMA Regional TV's newscasts led in the delivery of local news, collectively reaching over 25 million TV viewers across the country.
The Kapuso Network's flagship radio stations, AM station DZBB 594 and FM station DWLS 97.1, both ranked first in Mega Manila based on Nielsen Radio Audience Measurement (RAM) full-year average data in 2023.
Ranking number one as well in their respective areas were GMA's FM radio stations in Baguio, Dagupan, and Iloilo, and its AM station in Iloilo.
The Network reinforced its leadership in terrestrial broadcast reach and coverage by commissioning 12 additional Digital Terrestrial TV (DTT) transmitter stations nationwide in 2023, expanding GMA Network to 108 TV stations.
As for GMA's international linear channel subscription business, several of its traditional carrier agreements are scheduled for renewal in the first semester of 2024. New agreements with notable IP-based subscription services are also in the pipeline.
GMA Network also continued to invest in complementary technologies. To enhance the Kapuso viewer experience, it launched the Standard Definition Full High Anamorphic (SD-FHA) broadcast solution that brings a more immersive viewing experience in standard definition, regardless of the TV used.
All GMA Regional TV originating stations were also upgraded with full end-to-end Digital SD and HD capability.
In view of the rapid advancements in A.I. technology, the Network's Post Production team has adopted an innovative, A.I.-driven video-image enhancement solution for select content. Further integration of A.I. in its operations is expected in 2024.
A Year of Strategic Partnerships
With the digital space now vital to viewership, GMA Network forged strategic partnerships in 2023 to provide additional platforms for program and content distribution.
A special licensing agreement with Viu gave audiences access to programs such as "The Write One," "Love Before Sunrise," and "Unbreak My Heart," a co-production with ABS-CBN.
The highly successful primetime show "Maria Clara at Ibarra" and the Network's adaptation of the movie "Maging Sino Ka Man" were distributed through Netflix.
GMA also continued its partnership with YouTube in 2023. Through GMA Public Affairs, the collaboration produced the exclusive series, "Philippines' Number 1," which highlighted the best of the Philippines, and another installment of "Christmas In Our Hearts."
"Unexpected developments" on television, according to Duavit, likewise opened doors to a partnership that the industry also deemed surprising.
In June 2023, the popular program "It's Showtime!" was made available on GTV through a co-production agreement with ABS-CBN. The partnership was later extended for its broadcast on the noontime slot of GMA's main channel starting April 2024.
Successful Return to Film Production
2023 also saw GMA Network returning to the film arena with two Network-produced films, "The Cheating Game" and "Firefly," and two co-produced movies, "Video City" and "Five Breakups and a Romance."
"Firefly" garnered critical praise and accolades even on the global stage. Already a big winner at the Metro Manila Film Festival (MMFF), "Firefly" continued its streak at the inaugural Manila International Film Festival (MIFF), winning the most number of awards, including the highly-coveted Best Picture honor.
Both Network-produced films were released on streaming platforms – "The Cheating Game" on Netflix in 2023 and "Firefly" on Prime Video in April 2024.
Looking ahead, GMA Pictures has five productions lined up for release in 2024 and early 2025. Co-productions of four other films are also underway for 2024.
While 2023 was relatively a good year for GMA, the Network closed the year with a consolidated net income of Php 3.162 billion, down by 42 percent year-on-year.
GMA Network's 2023 net consolidated revenue was at Php 18.637 billion, a 14 percent decline year-on-year. It managed to contain its consolidated operating expenses at Php 14.592 billion, a fractional increase of 1.15 percent over the prior year.
Through economic headwinds, coupled with the constantly shifting viewing habits and preferences, Duavit remains resolute, saying "we leave no stone unturned in fulfilling our commitment to continuously grow and evolve, as we further build our audiences, maintain our relevance, and be where our audiences are, whether in or out of their homes."
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