It's Showtime Is Officially Moving to GMA
The network hopping for noon variety shows continues as ABS-CBN's very own It’s Showtime is set to transfer to GMA's UHF free television station GTV, beginning July 1, a release confirms. This follows the departure of Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto, Joey de Leon (TVJ) and the rest of the Dabarkads from the 40-plus-year-old Eat Bulaga!
ABS-CBN's current blocktime agreement with TV5 is set to expire on June 30. Meanwhile, TV5 Chairman Manny V. Pangilinan had also promised that TVJ was taking on the noontime slot. This would've forced It's Showtime out of its old slot and into a delayed time period.
“For 14 years, It’s Showtime has brought joy and entertainment to our Madlang People here and abroad. We value the meaningful relationship we have built and nurtured with our audience in the noontime slot. It is for this reason that we have respectfully declined the 4:30 pm timeslot offered by TV5 for the show,” ABS-CBN wrote in a statement.
ABS-CBN also claimed that TV5 had offered ABS-CBN a timeslot at 4:30 p.m. which would ultimately be bad for ratings.
G na G na! Abangan iyan! ???? pic.twitter.com/poZq07kWnf
— GTV (@gtvphilippines) June 20, 2023
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Erstwhile rivals ABS-CBN and GMA have announced strategic partnerships ever since the former lost its congressional broadcast franchise in 2020. Earlier this year, both networks announced a co-production agreement on the series Unbreak My Heart.
In June, however, TVJ left Eat Bulaga! following a dispute with the Jalosjos family and Television and Production Exponents Incorporated (TAPE), the company that produces the show.
Formerly GMA News TV, GTV or Good Television, is GMA-7's sister channel. GTV is the second-leading television channel in the country, based on Nielsen Television Audience Measurement data. It's Showtime viewers can catch the variety show on A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, iWantTFC, and TFC, as well.
