More Filipino households across urban and rural homes continue to tune in to the programs of ABS-CBN, which again topped all local TV stations in September with an average total day audience share of 43%, or seven points higher than GMA’s 36%, 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.

The Kapamilya network also remained unbeatable in other key territories such as Balance Luzon (areas in Luzon outside Mega Manila), where it triumphed with an average total day audience share of 47%, in the Visayas with 56%, and in Mindanao with 53%. GMA, on the other hand, garnered only 36%, 28%, and 29% respectively for the said areas.

ABS-CBN continued to lead in the primetime (6PM-12MN) block, where it gained an average audience share of 48%, or 13 points ahead of GMA’s 35%. The primetime block is 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 effectively.

Meanwhile, ABS-CBN also widened its lead in the late afternoon (3PM-6PM) block, recording an average audience share of 44%, a five-point increase from 39% in August. It also outweighed GMA (35%) by nine points in the said time block for September. This was driven by ABS-CBN’s new Kapamilya Gold lineup that includes “Kapamilya Blockbusters,” current affairs programs “Bistado,” “Mutya Ng Masa,” “My Puhunan,” “Tapatan Ni Tunying,” and “Red Alert,” and Judy Ann Santos’ returning game show “Bet On Your Baby.”

Kantar Media’s data also showed that ABS-CBN swept the list of the top ten most watched programs in the country in September.

Asia’s longest-running drama anthology “Maalaala Mo Kaya” again emerged as the top program in country with an average national TV rating of 29.6%, followed by “Hawak Kamay” (28.7%), “TV Patrol” (28.2%), “Wansapanataym” (27.7%), “Ikaw Lamang” (27.5%), “Home Sweetie Home” (24.9%), “Rated K” (22.4%), “Pure Love” (22.3%), “Mga Kwento Ni Marc Logan” (21.3%), and “Goin’ Bulilit” (21.1%).

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.