GMA Network Inc. continues to penetrate more markets in overseas territories as demand for Philippine-produced programs grows.
Through GMA Worldwide Inc. (GWI), the program acquisition and syndication arm GMA Network, net profits grew threefold for the first four months of 2012.
GMA vice president for GWI Roxanne Barcelona said that there is a growing interest in Philippine-produced programs not just in Asia but across the rest of the world.
“We are proud to showcase to partner broadcasters around the world GMA Network’s key programs that were hits in Filipino households. We are pleased to tap more markets this year and we hope to maintain the drive for the rest of 2012,” she said.
GWI pushed its bottom line performance to P1.98 million for the first four months of 2012, a threefold-growth or 344 percent improvement from last year’s net income of P447,000.
It grossed P16.58 million for the first four months of 2012, 109 percent increase from P7.92 million generated for the same period in 2011 driven by the growth in distribution revenues to new territories plus more businesses from existing clients.
The bulk of the gross amount this 2012 came from P14.28 million worth of contracts of program syndication to mentioned territories, while P210,000 of the gross came from the GWI Subscription Video on Demand (SVoD) service, which gives subscribers worldwide access to a selection of programs that can be viewed on high definition quality at anytime.
During the first four months of 2012, realized contracts of program syndication to Asian and US TV markets included eight program titles sold to Cambodian Broadcasting Services Ltd. for Cambodia; nine program titles and nine movie titles syndicated to Fox International Channels for the Philippine territory; nine program titles for the US territories; three program titles for Malaysia; two program titles and two film titles for Brunei; and three program titles for Myanmar.
In 2011, the January to April revenues came mostly from syndication of nine program titles to Africa, one program title to Vietnam, and various footage of News and Public Affairs shows to worldwide territories.
GWI’s four-month 2012 cash operating expenses (Opex) dropped 19 percent to P361,000 due to lower dues and subscriptions and ads and promo while Ebitda stood at P2.97 million, more than two times the amount the company made in 2011.
Barcelona also said GWI’s participation in international markets namely, World Content Market in Prague, Czech Republic, Hong Kong International Film and TV Market in Hong Kong, and Marche International des Programmes de Television in Cannes, France this 2012; and six other markets held in Singapore, Accra, Ghana, Prague, Czech Republic, Hong Kong, and Cannes, France in 2011 provided rich intercultural exchange for GMA Network, now dubbed as one of the most competent Filipino broadcast companies in introducing Filipino programs to overseas territories.
Danessa O. Rivera