TV5 gains stronger foothold among Male + Youth viewers

The year 2014 is a milestone year for the Philippines because as per the estimates, the country has reached a population of 100 million, making us the second biggest country in Southeast Asia, after Indonesia. With 55 percent of Filipinos below 29 years old, we are a relatively “young nation” with a viable work force able to build and progress the country in the years to come.

In terms of TV viewing population, the sexes are almost evenly divided, with males accounting for 49 percent of all Filipinos living, working and watching TV today. Males as well as the so-called youth (Male + Youth group, based on research categories) make for an interesting audience segment as new TV ratings indicate that TV5 remains to be an emerging formidable choice for them. Historically speaking, or using a four-year time frame (2011-2014), TV5’s national urban audience share for all audiences is behind the two top networks, but factoring for the male and youth national urban TV population share alone, the numbers become competitive for TV5.

As of October 2014, TV5 has 77 percent against ABS CBN’s 70 percent and GMA’s 69 percent  for male and youth audiences combined. TV5 has continued to maintain this edge for the past four years now. Bottom line is, TV5 generates the highest proportion of Males + Young (two to 29s) viewers in the broadcast industry at present.

Basketball fans and television viewers have religiously tuned in to watching the exciting PBA and Gilas Pilipinas games at the venue and on TV5.

This observation complements previous data on TV5 gaining ground and in fact besting the competition in the regional/ provincial media markets in Bacolod, Cebu, Cagayan De Oro and General Santos City, for example. According to current data, Male+ Youth audiences are not only predominant in Metro Manila but in key areas in the Visayas and Mindanao as well — proof that TV5 is truly a national network that is able to serve the Filipino wherever he may be.

Moreover, as of the last Primetime (6 to 10 p.m.) average viewership covering Oct. 20, 2014 to date, TV5’s Movie Max5 offering consistently generates double-digit viewership within its timeslot among the males and youth even on non-PBA day or when basketball was not on. Notably, just as the top networks continue to offer basically soap dramas on primetime, TV5 saw a noticeable upsurge in viewership before and after the primetime movie program.

In the case of youth audiences, data from Nielsen Media Research show that the primetime mini-series Wattpad Presents posted a significant rise in viewership ratings among the youth segment (two to 29 years old), more notably among teens. TV5 increased its teen viewership by 31 percent during the Wattpad Presents timeslot, compared to ABS-CBN’s 3 percent and GMA’s -2 percent (in terms of teen viewership increase). Furthermore, the data shows that Wattpad Presents accounts for 82 percent of the additional teen viewers for its timeslot — 28,582 eyeballs out of the total TV increase of 35,060 for the said timeslot. Incidentally, ABS-CBN’s increase among the teen segment only accounts for 59 percent of the total TV increase.

What are these Male + Youth audiences like? In a national urban audience segmentation study conducted last January to February 2014, the M + Youth viewers pyschographically fall under the Young Actives sector of the urban TV population. They are characterized as being  younger (13 to 30 years), more male, from Class C2 economically, mostly students, and are single. The group also fit  into the “Looking Good” segment, who tend to be the “mainstream males” — largely from Class DE, working, 21 to 30 years of age. Based on the said urban audience segmentation study, the Male +  Youth viewers are collectively known to value a successful life, are proud of their achievements, and are said to have a keen sense of belonging.

Consequently, being the most “connected” among the market segments, these audience groups are the strategic target of the SMART-PLDT media-telco convergence, especially with TV5’s strategic position to combine the popularity of television with the worldwide scope of telecommunications to reach every Filipino wherever he may be.

One thing that the ratings data indicates is that TV5’s sports programming in the past and present has been effective in attracting male viewers in particular and young people in general. Take for example the network’s vaunted coverage of the fabled journey of our very own Gilas Pilipinas to the FIBA World Cup in Spain. Then, of course, TV5 was there when history unfolded as the Philippine Basketball Association (PBA) opened its 40th season with a record crowd of 52,612 at the newly-built Philippine Arena in Bocaue, Bulacan — the biggest-ever attendance for a Philippine sporting event in the country.

Overall, one can say that TV5 indeed continues to gain a stronger foothold in the TV arena. These latest wins have also strengthened TV5’s position as a serious and determined competitor in the urban landscape of Philippine broadcasting.