ABS-CBN gains ground on Internet TV business

MANILA, Philippines - Broadcast giant ABS-CBN Corp. said it sees a steady rise in the users of its video streaming websites iWantv! and TFC.tv as it continues to step up its campaign against online piracy eight years after it introduced Internet TV in the country.

Eugene Paden, interactive managing director and TFC.tv general manager, said in a statement that the company continues to monitor the illegal and unofficial uploading of ABS-CBN content to video-sharing and video-streaming websites as it affects its Internet TV business.

“We do several things to address this by offering better quality videos, additional features, being consistent in uploading videos and providing complete content to our subscribers. We also go after the pirated sites, we take them down,” Paden stressed.

He pointed out that ABS-CBN launched TFC.tv so that Filipinos abroad, especially those who are working, may catch up on the programs back home and still feel connected with the family and friends they left behind.

“It puts the power of entertainment to the customer and enable them to be part of a community. When you watch TV online, you are able to comment, to relate with the rest of the world. We give them a venue to connect with others, to have an outlet,” he added.

For his part, ABS-CBN interactive digital media head Ralph Menorca said Internet TV is here to stay with more and more Filipinos enjoying the benefit of being able to enjoy “TV everywhere.”

“From 306,000 users by the end of 2011, we now have 1.9 million registered iWantv! subscribers by end-March, and counting,” he said.

Menorca added that inquiries from advertisers are already mounting, with the private sector taking notice of the potential of Internet TV.

Data for the month of March from choice research supplier for web audience measurement Effective Measure showed that iWantv! is the number one locally published website based on local traffic in the country.

iWantv! has generated a 10 percent increase in views to 36.3 million and 15 percent rise in unique visitors to 2.7 million in the Philippines viewing the latest and recent episodes of ABS-CBN’s top rating programs.

The total number of minutes of video viewed in March rose 12 percent to 131.4 million minutes from 117.4 million minutes in February.

Offshore, global Filipinos have been subscribing to the “Global Digital Tambayan for Filipinos” – TFC.tv (formerly TFC Now!) to watch their favorite Kapamilya programs.

Menorca said iWantv!’s success lies on the site’s ability to reach a previously untapped market for television companies.

“iWantv! caters to people on the go, who normally can’t catch the programs on schedule, and who want to watch their favorite shows at their own time. If you missed it on TV, you can watch it over the Internet,” he said.

The future looks bright for iWantv! and TFC.tv as more consumers are developing the habit of watching their favorite ABS-CBN programs online as broadband services, smartphones and devices become more affordable.

By 2015, experts estimate that the number of subscribers in the country availing of wireless broadband services through mobile devices would balloon to 31.5 million or six times more than the five million broadband users as of end-2011.