Media Companies: A Duopoly rules
The media networks ABS-CBN Corporation and GMA Network Incorporated dominate the media market economically. Considering the revenue of the 29 biggest media companies, ABS-CBN Corporation and GMA Network Incorporated together have a market share of 79.44 percent. Even if advertising budgets were not available for all media companies, the trend shows that the Big Two are the biggest beneficiaries from selling advertising space, with TV getting the lion’s share.
Both ABS-CBN Corporation and GMA Network Incorporated operate across media sectors and offer the most watched, most listened to and most clicked content. Together, they reach 80.72 percent of the audience through their TV channels ABS-CBN 2 and ABS-CBN Sports + Action for ABS-CBN Corporation, and GMA 7 and GMA News TV for GMA Network Incorporated. They also have 47.2 percent of the FM radio listenership via DZMM 630 (ABS-CBN Corporation) and DZBB 594 (GMA Network Incorporated). Considering that TV and radio are the most used, and TV by far the most trusted source of political information in the Philippines, they likely have an impact on public opinion. Both media networks also offer popular online news websites, which strengthen their cross-media presence.
Business tycoon Manuel V. Pangilinan is also involved in all media sectors through his MediaQuest Holdings Incorporated that holds TV5 Network Incorporated (TV, radio, online), Nation Broadcasting Corporation (radio, TV) and Hastings Holdings (print). However, based on 2014 data, they are far behind financially, with TV5 Network Incorporated operating at a loss ($-82,43 million). His telecommunication companies, however, balance it as PLDT and Smart telecommunications have a revenue of $3,652 million, a profit of around $569 million.
The print market is more evenly distributed among players due to a diversity of tabloid and broadsheet titles, with the entertainment-focused tabloid newspapers being more read compared to broadsheets.