DIGITAL TERRESTRIAL television (DTT) penetration is rising in Metro Manila, amid strong sales of TVplus boxes, according to ABS-CBN Corp.
In a statement on Wednesday, ABS-CBN said 72% of total television households in Metro Manila watch television using DTT, cable or direct-to-home satellite, citing a survey conducted by Kantar Media in August.
The Lopez-led media and entertainment company noted that among non-cabled homes in Metro Manila, 55% own ABS-CBN’s TVplus box. In Mega Manila, 44% of non-cable homes watch television using ABS-CBN TVplus boxes.
ABS-CBN attributed the growing DTT penetration in Metro Manila to the “brisk sales of ABS-CBN TVplus.”
As of mid-September, ABS-CBN has sold a cumulative total of 3.6 million TVplus boxes since it was launched in 2015.
“We are on track to hit our target of selling a cumulative total of four million ABS-CBN TVplus boxes this year as more Filipinos experience ABS-CBN TVplus’ promise of clear picture and additional exclusive channels with no monthly fees,” Chinky Alcedo, head of ABS-CBN Digital Terrestrial Television, said in a statement.
ABS-CBN TVplus offers exclusive channels such as CineMo, children’s entertainment channel YeY!, Knowledge Channel, on top of DZMM TeleRadyo, ABS-CBN S+A, and ABS-CBN.
ABS-CBN TVplus signal coverage is available in Metro Manila, and other provinces including Bulacan, Nueva Ecija, Pangasinan, Rizal, Cebu, Bacolod, Davao, and Cagayan de Oro.
Kantar Media is a TV audience measurement provider gathering TV viewing data in both digital and analog platforms.
ABS-CBN reported its attributable net income fell 36% to P1.45 billion in the first six months of 2017, on weak revenues.
Revenues fell by an annual 8% to P19.344 billion, from year-ago’s P20.99 billion, with advertising sales accounting for 51% of total. Ad revenues had a 60% share in the first half of 2016, an election year.
Shares in ABS-CBN closed 0.12% higher to P40.65 apiece on Wednesday. — Patrizia Paola C. Marcelo
