As the year 2020 proved to be by far one of the toughest – with all the different crises brought about by the pandemic as well as natural and man-made calamities that tested the Filipino spirit – GMA Network soldiered on to deliver Serbisyong Totoo as it remained as the Filipinos’ top news and free entertainment source.
Based on Nielsen Phils. TV Audience Measurement’s Total Philippines data for 2020 (from January 1 to December 26), GMA reached over 98.5 percent of TV households with an estimated 84.1 million viewers nationwide.
GMA was also the most watched channel in Total Philippines for the said period with 48.3 percent people audience share.
In both Total Luzon and Total Visayas, GMA’s net reach was similarly at 98.6 percent of TV households, while posting 49.8 and 47.7 percent people audience shares, respectively.
In Total Mindanao, GMA was able to reach 97.9 percent of TV households with 42.2 percent people audience share.
The Kapuso Network started strong in 2020. For the period January to May 5, GMA was already ahead of ABS-CBN in terms of both reach and viewership before the latter went off air in May.
GMA registered over 95 percent household reach and was also on top with its 33.1 percent people audience share during the said period.
Primetime newscast “24 Oras,” which emerged as the country’s top news program for 2020, headlines the Network’s News and Public Affairs line-up that consistently serves as one of GMA’s main thrusts.
In terms of total broadcast hours, GMA and GMA News TV devoted a combined average of 18 hours daily – from January to December 2020 – for various news and public affairs programs.
GMA allotted almost 25 percent of its actual airtime to news and public affairs shows, which was equivalent to around 4.5 hours daily; while these accounted for 75 percent of GMA News TV’s programming or 13.5 hours daily on the average.
For radio, GMA’s flagship stations were no. 1 in both Mega Manila’s AM and FM lists.
According to Nielsen’s Radio Audience Measurement, Super Radyo DZBB recorded 41.9 percent audience share among AM stations and reach of over 2.3 million listeners while Barangay LS 97.1 scored 29.5 percent audience share among FM stations and reach of 4.8 million listeners as of December 2020.
Super Radyo DYSS 999 similarly took the number one spot in Cebu’s AM list with a whopping 74.6 percent audience share, while Barangay FM 107.1 bested other FM stations in Bacolod with 55.4 percent audience share as of Q4 2020.
Further, DZBB delivered special coverages to provide up-to-the-minute updates on the different events that happened in the country via the Bantay COVID-19 Special Coverage, Bantay Bulkan, as well as Bantay Bagyo, Bantay Baha, and now Bantay Bakuna which also aired on Dobol B sa News TV.
On digital platforms, GMA News and Public Affairs had a banner year as it led in video viewership and engagement. According to Tubular Labs data, GMA News was the most viewed news media organization in the Philippines on both YouTube and Facebook for the year.
It peaked in May 2020 at the 5th spot worldwide at the height of the Luzon lockdown. GMA News was also the frontrunner for all Philippine news pages on Facebook in total engagement, based on CrowdTangle data.
In addition, GMA Public Affairs reached 10 million subscribers on YouTube in April 2020, making GMA Network the first Philippine media organization with two Diamond Creator Awards from the streaming site.
With 2020 being an eventful year, GMA Network faces 2021 with optimism as it recently unveiled this year’s new lineup of offerings.
Kapuso viewers are set to witness the launch of its mobile digital TV receiver GMA Now following the highly-successful GMA Affordabox—which, despite the pandemic—sold almost 1 million units in only six months last year.
The Kapuso Network likewise offers viewers a variety of content through its digital channels Heart of Asia and Hallypop; as well as DepEd TV that provides Filipino learners free access to DepEd’s blended learning program across the country.
GMA is also set to broadcast the NCAA games on GMA-7, GMA News TV, GMA Pinoy TV, and via online streaming on the GMA portal.
