According to Effective Measure, the research supplier for web audience measurement, iWantv! is the number one locally published website in March.
In March, iWantv! generated 36.3 million views, a 10% increase from 32.9 million views. It also attracted 2.7 million unique visitors in the Philippines, 15% higher than February.
ABS-CBN Interactive Digital Media head Ralph 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 in a statement.
The number of iWantv! subscribers has also been growing significantly. "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.
This increase in subscribers may be linked to the popularity of ABS-CBN's "kiligserye" "Be Careful With My Heart, which is the most viewed show on iWantv! with 3.9 million pageviews in March. This is followed by "Ina Kapatid Anak" with 1.4 million page views, based on Google Analytics.
In March, the total number of minutes of video viewed on iWantv! reached 131.4 million minutes, 12% higher than 117.4 million minutes in February. This means an average of 4.2 million minutes of video is viewed each day.
Menorca said the iWantv! app will soon be available in the Philippines, noting that 20-25% of iWantv! users view the site on their mobile devices.
He also noted inquiries from advertisers are already increasing as the private sector takes notice of the potential of "internet TV."
Overseas Pinoys flock to TFC.tv
Overseas Filipinos are also watching their favorite ABS-CBN shows on TFC.tv.
Eugene Paden, ABS-CBN Interactive managing director and TFC.tv general manager, said TFC.tv was launched so that Filipinos abroad, especially those who are working, can watch their favorite shows back home and still feel connected with their family and friends.
"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," Paden said.
ABS-CBN started distributing television content via the Internet as early as eight years ago, to address the busy schedule of overseas Filipino workers.
However, Paden noted the biggest threat to ABS-CBN’s Internet TV is online piracy, as many illegally upload ABS-CBN content on video-sharing and video-streaming websites.
"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," he said.
The future looks bright for iWantv! and TFC.tv as more Filipinos develop 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.
At present, there are about eight million smartphones and tablets in the country with access to wireless data services from their respective networks.
Market analysts see the number growing through 2015 with the devices’ increased functionality and declining prices as low-cost Android-enabled mobile phones, mid-range tablets, and cheap brands already in the market.
source: www.abs-cbnnews.com
