More Filipino households across urban and rural homes continue to get their daily dose of news and entertainment from the country’s largest and leading multimedia conglomerate ABS-CBN Corporation, which topped all TV stations in March (excluding Holy Week) with an average audience share of 41%, or 10 points ahead of GMA’s 31%, based on data from Kantar Media.

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 continued to rule in the hotly contested primetime (6PM-12MN), considered as the most important part of the day when most Filipinos watch TV and advertisers put a larger chunk of their investment in to reach more consumers efficiently. ABS-CBN’s primetime offerings remained undefeated with an average audience share of 47%, a staggering 17-point lead over GMA’s 30%.

Aside from leading in primetime, ABS-CBN also continued to beat other networks across all programming blocks. In the morning (6AM-12MN), it recorded an average audience share of 36% vs GMA’s 32%. ABS-CBN was also five points ahead of GMA in both early afternoon (12NN-3PM) and late afternoon (3PM-6PM) with 38% and 35% against GMA’s 33% and 30%, respectively.

Superhero drama “Juan dela Cruz”’ is now the most watched program in the country as it registered a national TV rating of 35.7% in March, followed by “Ina Kapatid Anak” with 34%, “Maalaala Mo Kaya” with 32.3%, and “Wansapanataym” with 29.3%.

When it comes to news, the country’s longest-running Filipino newscast “TV Patrol” is still Filipinos’ top choice with a national TV rating of 26.4%, or 10 points higher than GMA’s “24 Oras” that only managed 16.3%.

Overall, 11 out of the 15 most watched programs in March were produced by ABS-CBN including “Pilipinas Got Talent” (26.2%), “Be Careful With My Heart” (25.7%), “Apoy sa Dagat” (23.8%), “Rated K” (23.1%), “Goin’ Bulilit” (20.9%), and “Kapamilya Deal or No Deal” (19.7%).

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN sustained its leadership in key territories such as Balance Luzon (areas in Luzon outside of Mega Manila) where it surged ahead of GMA with an average audience share of 43% vs GMA’s 34%. In the Visayas, ABS-CBN registered an audience share of 49% vs 26% and in Mindanao with 54% vs GMA’s 21%.

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.