FOUR years ago, Apple CEO Tim Cook declared the future of TV is in apps. This was during the launch of an all-new Apple TV, with Cook standing onstage in front of hundreds of journalists and employees promising to bring TV viewing into the app age.
Hindsight has proven Cook to be wrong. Apps showed little growth while streaming services skyrocketed. It may be one of the few “mistakes” Apple has committed as streaming is indeed the future.
Viewing habits have changed and more people are moving to a digital viewing experience. How and when people watch TV, plus the actual content itself, has changed drastically.
Some consumers demand for more content that are elevated, having been exposed to more international TV shows. A lot watch whatever they want, whenever they want. But knowing how TV is so dynamic, I am pretty sure this will change too.
While this has been brought about more by circumstances beyond their control rather than choice, ABS-CBN is pivoting to meet the Filipino audiences’ growing demand for content online with the launch of Kapamilya Online Live.
Three months after going off the air and a month after being denied a new franchise to broadcast, ABS-CBN is bringing more of its content to the digital space by streaming its new and well-loved programs on its Facebook and YouTube accounts, which have over 50 million followers and subscribers combined.
Available in the Philippines via ABS-CBN Entertainment’s Facebook and YouTube accounts, Kapamilya Online Live will livestream new episodes of FPJ’s Ang Probinsyano, It’s Showtime, ASAP Natin ’To, Love Thy Woman, A Soldier’s Heart, Magandang Buhay, Paano Kita Mapasasalamatan and Iba ’Yan.
The Kapamilya Online Live livestream is offered for free and without any subscription as part of ABS-CBN’s move to strengthen its digital presence to reach more Filipinos.
Kapamilya Online Live will livestream ABS-CBN programs throughout the day and will also allow viewers to catch the latest episodes of their favorite shows as it will be available on-demand in the next 24 hours.On YouTube, the Kapamilya Online Live will stream continuously throughout the day from as early as 7:40 am until 10 pm. On Facebook, viewers can catch their favorite shows on regular timeslots with scheduled breaks between timeblocks.
This marks another milestone in ABS-CBN’s digital transformation that began in recent years as audiences continued to consume more and more content online.
The company also operates the streaming service iWant, which boasts of the largest library of Filipino content and with over 11 million subscribers.
ABS-CBN Chief Operating Officer for Broadcast Cory Vidanes said the launch of Kapamilya Online Live demonstrates the company’s commitment to remain in the service of the Filipino regardless of the situation.
“By livestreaming our shows on our Facebook and YouTube accounts for free without any subscription fees, we hope to be able to reach more Filipinos and stay true to our promise to continue to serve Filipinos in whatever way we can,” Vidanes said.
Viewers in the Philippines now have a new option to view the programs of ABS-CBN, which launched the Kapamilya Channel on cable and satellite TV nationwide last June.
Meanwhile, with its own strong subscriber base, ABS-CBN News will continue to house news programs TV Patrol and The World Tonight on its Facebook page with 20 million followers, and YouTube channel with 9.83 million subscribers.
With Kapamilya Online Live, ABS-CBN is poised to make an impact on the media landscape again, similar to what it did in broadcasting. Founded over six decades ago, ABS-CBN pioneered television in the country and was also first to respond to the government’s mandate to shift to digital TV broadcast with the launch of the ABS-CBN TVplus in 2015.
ABS-CBN recently disclosed that it would focus on businesses that do not require a legislative franchise, including digital channels, cable, international licensing and distribution, and production of content for various streaming services.