ABS-CBN, the country’s largest and leading multimedia conglomerate, sustained its nationwide leadership by having the most number of Philippine TV households watching its shows whole day. ABS-CBN enjoyed its biggest lead on primetime (6PM-12MN) with an average audience share of 47%, 15 points higher than GMA’s 32%, based on data from Kantar Media that cover urban and rural homes.

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.

ABS-CBN also ruled primetime in other key territories like Balance Luzon (areas in Luzon outside Mega Manila) with 49% audience share vs GMA’s 33%; in the Visayas where it registered 57%, or more than twice as big as GMA’s 24%; and in Mindanao with 62% or three times GMA’s 21% share. Primetime is the most important timeblock when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment in to reach more consumers efficiently.

ABS-CBN’s primetime supremacy also drove its dominance in terms of total day audience share, hitting an average audience share of 41%, as compared to GMA’s 34%.
Superhero drama “Juan Dela Cruz” led the country’s top 15 most watched programs in August with a national TV rating of 35.9%, followed by multi-awarded drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” with 33.7%.

Newly premiered “Got to Believe” immediately rose to the third spot of the monthly top 15 with 32.4%, beatings its rival program “Mundo Mo’y Akin” of GMA that only recorded 17.6%.

ABS-CBN’s primetime teleseryes “Muling Buksan ang Puso” (27.9%) and “Huwag Ka Lang Mawawala” (26.6%) also rated high on the list, trumping GMA’s primetime offerings “Anna Karenina” (19.2%) and “My Husband’s Lover” (14.5%), which both failed to make it to the top 15. Moreover, “Huwag Kang Mawawala” ended its run on a high note by registering a whopping national TV rating of 32.5% on its finale episode last August 23.

“TV Patrol,” meanwhile, landed in fourth place and ruled all newscasts with 29.9%, while “Wansapanataym” finished fifth with 29.7%.

“Be Careful With My Heart” continues to stand as the only morning program to penetrate the list with a national TV rating of 22.2%.

Kantar Media’s report also showed that 13 programs in the top 15 in August were produced by ABS-CBN, including “Rated K” (23.6%), “The Voice of the Philippines” (23.2%), “Annaliza” (22%), “Goin’ Bulilit” (21.8%), and ”Kapamilya Deal or No Deal” (21.3%).

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, NBN, 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, Brand Ideas, MPG Havas, and 720ConsumerConnect.