Closer Than Ever: GMA's International Channels to Air on ABS-CBN's iWantTFC
More and more, ABS-CBN and GMA Network are putting their age-old rivalry behind them.
In separate disclosures to the Philippine Stock Exchange on Wednesday (April 26), the two broadcast giants announced that more audiences will get to see GMA Network's international channels GMA Pinoy TV, GMA Life TV, and GMA News TV through ABS-CBN’s streaming platform iWantTFC starting May 1, 2023.
This means GMA Network content, including shows like Maria Clara at Ibarra, Abot Kamay na Pangarap, Apoy sa Langit, First Yaya, and The World Between Us, will now be available to viewers of iWantTFC in select countries and territories in Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa, Europe, and the South Pacific/Caribbean Islands.
Certain GMA on-demand shows will also air on iWantTFC.
ALSO READ
Bitter Rivals No More? Deal Reached for GMA to Air Star Cinema Movies
GMA Network's Felipe L. Gozon: 'We Have Been Thinking About Our Successor for Quite Some Time'
Launched in 2005, GMA Pinoy TV is GMA Network’s flagship international channel, where much of the network’s slate of news and entertainment programs are aired. GMA Life TV was introduced in 2008 and delivers a diverse range of program genres that include lifestyle, travel, food, health and beauty, talk and infotainment, blockbuster movies, and top-rated English-dubbed drama series, all available in English and Filipino. GMA News TV is backed by the network’s award-winning news and public affairs teams, and provides viewers with the latest, most comprehensive, and most credible news from the Philippines since 2011.
Meanwhile, ABS-CBN’s iWantTFC is touted as the world’s leading Filipino streaming platform.
“GMA Network remains true to our vision of enriching the lives of Filipinos with superior entertainment and the responsible, unbiased, and timely delivery of accurate news and information,” GMA Network senior vice president for finance and ICT Ronaldo Mastrili said. “This collaboration with ABS-CBN is another validation of this commitment as we make our world-class content available to a wider audience. At the end of the day, the Filipino viewers — our boss—will greatly benefit from this.”
“GMA International takes another bold step in bringing world-class content to our global Filipino audience with this historic collaboration with iWantTFC in selected territories,” added GMA Network first vice president and head of international operations Joseph Francia. “GMA has always welcomed collaborations, especially those that involve bringing Filipinos closer together. We remain grateful for the continued trust of ABS-CBN, this time around through iWantTFC.”
"ABS-CBN has always focused on being in the service of the Filipino,” said ABS-CBN International managing director Jun Del Rosario. “Our iWantTFC platform is committed to providing the widest spectrum of Filipino content appreciated and enjoyed by our countrymen worldwide. We are delighted to add a slate of live streaming channels and popular shows from GMA to our ever-growing news and entertainment offerings. As the home of Filipino stories, we will continue to give our audience easy access to content they trust us to deliver.”
The erstwhile rivals have announced collaborations in recent months, signifying a closer working relationship after ABS-CBN’s broadcast franchise renewal was rejected by Congress in 2020. In April last year, films produced by ABS-CBN’s film unit Star Cinema began airing on GMA’s local channels.
