Compared to the same period last year.
In its disclosure to the Securities and Exchanges Commission (SEC), which they also submitted to the Philippine Stock Exchange (PSE), media giant ABS-CBN Corporation (PSE: ABS) revealed its latest unaudited financial figures for the first three months of the year.
According to the company, its consolidated revenue from January 1 to March 31, 2025 was Php 4.3 billion, a 4% increase from its recorded figures for the same quarter last year.
Contributing to this was the spike in advertising revenue, which amounted to Php 1.79-B, driven by a spike in both regular and election-related advertising on its top-rating shows, such as ‘FPJ’s Batang Quiapo,’ ‘Incognito,’ and ‘It’s Showtime’.
‘TV Patrol,’ the longest-running Filipino-language newscast, also posted revenue growth in Q1, according to the media company.
Digital revenues from its iWantTFC platform and third-party sites like YouTube also saw an uptick of 32% year-on-year.
Consumer revenues, which compounds the theatrical movies, live events, and music, also saw positive numbers in the first quarter, up by 16% from Php 1.2-B (Q1 2024) to Php 1.4-B (Q1 2025).
Notable performers were ‘And The Breadwinner Is…’ and ‘My Love Will Make You Disappear,’ which both did well locally and in international markets.
iWantTFC’s subscriber base in foreign territories also generated double-digit revenue growth and improvement in average revenue per user (ARPU), per ABS-CBN.
Another highlighted was the ‘Nation’s Girl Group’ BINI, who held their sold-out Philippine Arena kick-off concert for their ‘BINIverse World Tour,’ in February.
Despite these strides, consolidated expenses incurred by ABS also grew in the first quarter, standing at Php 4.27-B, although it is slightly lower than the Php 5.28-B logged in the first quarter of 2024.
As such, the recurring net loss of the entire ABS-CBN Corporation was Php 500 million during this quarter, a significant 50% improvement from its Php 994-M in the first three months of last year.
Earnings before interests, taxes, depreciation, and amortization (EBITDA) for Q1 2025 was Php 391 million, a 995% increase from the Php 36 million in Q1 2024.
In terms of its business segments, ABS-CBN’s Content Production and Distribution carried the bulk of the revenues, generating Php 3.2 billion for the first three months.
Cable TV and Broadband segment, however, saw a 27% decline in revenues at Php 1.1 billion, compared to Php 1.45 billion in Q1 2024, attributed to the continued “cord-cutting” or the shift of former subscribers to alternatives.
Capital expenditures reported, which include program rights acquisitions, was at Php 151 million as of March 31, 2025.