Philippine TV industry: The end of network wars and rise of streaming platforms

The Philippine TV industry’s resilience unfolds in the evolving media landscape, from the end of the ABS-CBN and GMA network war to the rise of Netflix, Amazon Prime Video, and other streaming sites

The average Filipino can always count on one constant: the luxury of choice between the two largest broadcast networks in the Philippines—ABS-CBN and GMA. Fans can pick between It’s Showtime and Eat Bulaga for lunch leisure. Prime time entails news broadcasts from TV Patrol and 24 Oras. Sunday entertainment comes in the form of ASAP or All Out Sundays. And for those seeking respite from the two, network TV5 and its shows stand ready.

However, during the first few months of the COVID-19 pandemic, the TV industry suffered a significant change.

ABS-CBN was forced to shut down after lawmakers denied the network’s application for renewal of its franchise for national television broadcast. It had been off the air since May 2020, and the TV industry was never the same again.

The effects of the shutdown were immediate: around 11,000 employees lost their jobs at the peak of a nationwide lockdown, and journalism took a large blow at a time when news was an essential commodity. The media and politics in the Philippines were in disarray. Meanwhile, billionaire Manny Villar acquired ABS-CBN’s frequency and launched his own television network, ALLTV.

Protesters hold placards during a rally on press freedom following attempts to shutdown ABS-CBN, the largest broadcasting network in the country in Quezon City, Metro Manila (Photo: Basilio H. Sepe/Majority World/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Above Protesters hold placards during a rally on press freedom following attempts to shutdown ABS-CBN, the largest broadcasting network in the country in Quezon City, Metro Manila (Photo: Basilio H. Sepe/Majority World/Universal Images Group via Getty Images)

Four years later, ABS-CBN tripled its net loss to nearly PhP10 billion in 2023 due to the impairment of some of its legacy assets. The same year, it reported losses of PhP7.082 billion from its cable and broadband businesses.

Fewer Filipinos are tuning in to TV than before the pandemic after the network lost its free TV and radio business. Kantar Media managing director Jay Bautista referred to this as the “flattening of the TV curve” in his research.

Among its contemporaries, the media giant stood ahead of the curve, nurturing its internet presence years before its franchise was revoked. Apart from YouTube, it uploaded episodes of its shows to the streaming service iWanTV—now iWantTFC—after the merger of iWant and TFC Online. It also secured partnerships with streaming services like Netflix and Amazon Prime.

With the rise of such platforms across the globe, ABS-CBN is on the right track. Over 98 per cent of Filipino internet users aged between 16 and 64 used a video streaming subscription service in April 2022, according to Statista’s research department. Reasons vary, from convenience to flexibility, allowing consumers to watch their favourite shows whenever and wherever they want.

Above A girl scrolling through streaming service Netflix (Photo: Karolina Grabowska/Pexels)

They say content is king, and it continues to be. Everyone in the business wants to be in the streaming game—wracking their brains with new, creative ideas for series and films, made possible by additional funding.

During the increased demand for digital content, genres also tread away from the “traditional” and “conventional” and slowly introduced themselves to Filipino audiences.

For example, the Boys’ Love (BL) genre started making waves thanks to the Thai series 2gether. Based on a study by Erwin de la Cruz from the University of the Philippines, it contributed to the first wave of Filipino BL series like Gameboys, Hello, Stranger, In Between, Quaranthings, and Gaya sa Pelikula.

Above #GayaSaPelikula (Like In The Movies) Official Trailer

The release of Darna, Sleep With Me, and Drag Race Philippines during the pandemic’s peak also allowed variety and vitality for local TV.

As more people cut the cord and move to streaming, the traditional TV industry must adapt or risk becoming obsolete. Apart from investing in streaming platforms, it helps that our leading networks have worked together when the opportunity presented itself.

In 2024, history was made. It’s Showtime, one of ABS-CBN’s flagship shows, started airing on GMA on April 6. The unprecedented move reflects the commitment of both previously rival networks to deliver top-notch entertainment.

There have been several collaborations between the two before, like the Unbreak My Heart 2023 series, but this was on a different level. “This is just so historic, so iconic. Who would have thought that this would happen—that ABS-CBN and GMA would work together?” shared Tatler Asia’s 2022 Most Influential honouree and It’s Showtime host Vice Ganda.

Above The ‘It's Showtime’ cast welcomes audiences on their first day at GMA

Following a newspaper article claiming that ABS-CBN is looking to return to broadcasting, the network told the Philippine Stock Exchange that it had “sold its broadcasting assets and doesn’t intend to apply for a new franchise.” Working with GMA and partnering with other media outlets is its best choice. Fans are looking forward to the venture’s success and longevity, considering that GMA’s combined people net reach, including GTV and its digital channels, is 73 million viewers, with an audience share of 94 per cent of the total population in 2023.

Doubts surround the future of the TV industry, as almost 50 percent of Filipinos now use social media as a source of news and entertainment, and interest in video-on-demand and streaming platforms has grown exponentially in recent years. However, media networks like ABS-CBN and GMA continue to adapt, so expect to see more ventures and strategies from them.

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Is our TV industry at its most mature? A dive into the “end of network wars” and rise of streaming platforms