ABS-CBN Digital Media, commonly known as Digital Media Division, and also known as ABS-CBN Interactive, is the digital media and internet division of ABS-CBN Corporation. It was formerly a separate company operating as a wholly owned subsidiary of ABS-CBN until 2013, when ABS-CBN Interactive, Inc. was merged to its parent. ABS-CBN Digital Media is responsible for overseeing all of ABS-CBN's internet and digital properties which include websites, mobile and web applications, social media accounts, and the distribution of ABS-CBN's contents (TV channels, audio channels, TV programs, films, music recordings, music videos, images, magazines, books, news, etc.) to digital and online space. ABS-CBN Digital Media has made many first in Philippine media, such as the first ever TV network website (ABS-CBN.com launched in 1995), the first ever Filipino news website (news.ABS-CBN.com launched in 1997), and the first Filipino video streaming website (ABS-CBN Now! launched in 2003; now known as iWantTFC). In 2017, the company was the largest in digital media platforms in the Philippines.[2]
 | |
| Company type | Division |
|---|---|
| Industry | Internet Digital media New media |
| Founded | February 1999 |
| Headquarters | ABS-CBN Broadcasting Center, Diliman, Quezon City |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Jaime Lopez (Head, Digital) Dennis Lim (Head, Digital Media Services) |
| Products | Chicken Pork Adobo iWantTFC news.ABS-CBN.com |
| Revenue | PHP781 million (FY 2016)[1] |
| Parent | ABS-CBN Corporation |
History
ABS-CBN Digital Media was originally part of ABS-CBN's IT department labeled as the Interactive Media Group (IMG). The group was formed and initiated by Victoria Ferro. After three years of business development and consistent production of new forms of digital media, the IMG was spun off to a separate subsidiary of the ABS-CBN Broadcasting Corporation. ABS-CBN Interactive, Inc. was formally incorporated in February 1999 with Victoria Ferro as Founder and Managing Director. By the time of incorporation, ABS-CBN Interactive had already pioneered many forms of digital media used today including live streaming and other mobile value added services. ABS-CBN Interactive was officially established to manage and grow ABS-CBN's digital presence and to monetize ABS-CBN's contents on cyberspace. Later that same year, Carlo Katigbak was appointed as the subsidiary's new Managing Director.
Together with its sister company's TV Production team, ABS-CBN Interactive's mobile business started out with the game show, Game KNB? (pronounced as "Game Ka Na Ba?", literally "Are You Game?"), where TV audiences can join through their mobile phones. The company continued to offer mobile value-added services with content sourced from ABS-CBN and its subsidiaries as well as other third-party content companies. A java mobile game was also developed based on Game KNB? game show.
In 2005, ABS-CBN Interactive, in partnership with ABS-CBN Global Ltd., launched the award-winning and the first Filipino online video streaming service TFC Now! This service allowed audiences around the world to watch ABS-CBN's programs anytime and anywhere via the internet.
ABS-CBN Interactive then formed a subsidiary, ABS-CBN Multimedia, Inc., to handle MMORPG business. ABS-CBN Multimedia acquired licenses of online video games from abroad and marketed it in the Philippines as Get Amped. Some of the games offered by Get Amped include Tantra Online created by Hanbitsoft of Korea, Ragnarok Online, War Rock, Cronous Pilipinas, and N-Age. This service was later discontinued due to financial difficulties and poor reception.[3][4][5]
In 2011, ABS-CBN Interactive, together with Creative Programs and SKYcable, launched the Philippines' first user-generated interactive cable channel called CgeTV. This channel was later discontinued due to the poor reception.
In 2008, ABS-CBN Interactive signed a five million dollar deal with the global social networking site Multiply. The deal granted ABS-CBN Corporation to own as much as 5% of the global social networking site. This deal was proven to be fruitless as Multiply was later dissolved due to financial difficulties and the assets and property of the company redistributed.[6][7]
In 2013, ABS-CBN Interactive, Inc. was merged to its parent ABS-CBN Corporation. The ABS-CBN Digital Media name was then adapted and is now overseen by Donald Patrick Lim as its Chief digital officer and Dennis Lim as the Head of Digital Media Services. However, the ABS-CBN Interactive name is still used nowadays on certain contexts. Today, ABS-CBN Digital Media is responsible for overseeing all of ABS-CBN Corporation's websites and mobile applications. It is operated under the ABS-CBN Access segment of ABS-CBN Corporation headed by Antonio Ventosa.
ABS-CBN's official social media accounts on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, and TikTok (mainly It's Showtime) are among the most influential in the Philippines. ABS-CBN Entertainment's YouTube channel is the first-ever Filipino content creator on YouTube to gained an aggregate views of 1 billion and the most viewed, most subscribed YouTube channel in Southeast Asia surpassing Thailand's WorkpointTV. Among the social media accounts managed by ABS-CBN Digital Media are ABS-CBN Entertainment (ABS-CBN's main account across social media, with over 21 million likes and 31 million followers on Facebook, 1.6 million followers on Twitter, and with over 2.6 million followers on Instagram, over 36.7 million subscribers and over 44.1 billion views on YouTube), ABS-CBN News (over 7.6 million followers on Twitter; 19.2 million likes on Facebook; over 13 million subscribers and 8.4 billion views on YouTube), ABS-CBN Starmusic (over 6.29 million subscribers and over 2.5 billion views on YouTube), ABS-CBN Star Cinema (over 4.03 million subscribers and over 1.2 billion views on YouTube), The Voice Kids Philippines (over 2.63 million subscribers and over 1.4 billion views on YouTube), The Voice of the Philippines (with over 3.7 million likes on Facebook; over 903 thousand subscribers and over 542 million views on YouTube), Myx (with over 7.5 million likes on Facebook; over 6.7 million followers on Twitter), and It's Showtime (with over 11.2 million likes on Facebook). ABS-CBN.com, the official and the centralized website of ABS-CBN Corporation for all of its subsidiaries is currently one of the top websites in the Philippines and is the top Filipino website in the country.[8]
Digital properties
| Name | Type/Platform | Current status | Note(s) |
|---|---|---|---|
| ABS-CBN.com | Website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube (as ABS-CBN Entertainment) | Active | Among the top websites in the Philippines; the top Filipino website in the world. The most viewed Filipino channel on YouTube. |
| news.ABS-CBN.com ABS-CBN News |
Website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, android, iOS, Windows, LG Smart TV | Active | Among the top Facebook publishers in the world. News contents are provided by ABS-CBN News. |
| Choose Philippines | Website, Facebook, Twitter, YouTube | Inactive | Developed by ABS-CBN Regional. |
| Chicken Pork Adobo | Website, Facebook, Twitter, Multi-channel network on YouTube | Inactive | The website only serves as an advertisement for the service. Multi-channel network in YouTube which has over 90 content creators each designed for specific niche market. |
| Chalk Magazine, Star Studio Magazine, FOOD Magazine Philippines, Metro Magazine Philippines, Metro Home Magazine, Working Mom Magazine, Metro Weddings Magazine, Vault Magazine, Star Magic Catalogue 2015 | Website (for Metro Magazine only), Facebook, Twitter, iOS | Active | Digital versions of the magazines owned by ABS-CBN Publishing available for iOS smartphones and tablet PCs. |
| COMELEC Halalan 2016 | android only, iOS version is outdated | Inactive | The COMELEC Halalan 2016 mobile application (“COMELEC App”) created by ABS-CBN aims to allow the public access to election-related information and services through mobile phones and devices. It allows a Filipino voter to check the status of his registration and eligibility for elections, assists him in locating his precinct or polling place, and provides him with information and news related to the coming 2016 Philippine elections. |
| iWantTFC | Website, Android, iOS, Windows, Samsung Smart TV, Amazon Fire TV, Roku, Apple TV, Vewd, Vidaa, Telstra, Android TV | Active | Over-the-top content platform available in the Philippines and globally. |
| Hero |
Inactive |
Provides content and updates on anime, Japanese pop culture, and eGames. Formerly an anime cable channel operated by sister company Creative Programs from 2005 to 2018. | |
| MYX Charts | android and iOS | Active | Displays the results of the 3 weekly Myx music video charts and has the ability to share the chart on Facebook or Twitter. Also has a voting capability. |
| NoInk | Website, android, and iOS | Active | A reading app designed for ABS-CBN Publishing. |
| One Music PH | Website and social media | Active | Music and video streaming and downloading website. |
| PasaHero | android and iOS | Inactive | A passenger safety app released in 2013. This mobile app safeguards the user (passenger) by broadcasting trip details to social media and, through the panic button, sending emergency notifications and location to the user's trusted circle and to relevant agencies for assistance. |
| Patrol.ph | Website | Active | A Filipino-language news website |
| Push Push Showbiz News Push-Mobile |
Website, Facebook, Twitter, android and iOS | Active | Entertainment, showbiz, and gossip news. |
| DOST Project NOAH | for iOS only (other platforms are released by Smart Communications | Inactive | This mobile device application was jointly developed by the Department of Science and Technology-Nationwide Operational Assessment of Hazards (DOST-NOAH) and ABS-CBN Corporation. It aims to give mobile device users information such as probability of rain, typhoon forecast, images from multi-functional transport satellites, rainfall amount, temperature, images from Doppler stations and recordings from weather stations, stream gauges and rain gauges — essentially giving users access to crucial hazards information right at their fingertips. |
| Kapamilya Online Live | Facebook, YouTube | Active | entertainment shows from Kapamilya Channel and Jeepney TV. |
| Digital Advertising Self-serve Hub (DASH) | Website, Facebook, Twitter | Active | Do-it-yourself (DIY) advertising tool for businesses. |
| ABS-CBN Radio Service | iOS, Android | Active | Mobile application for digital audio platforms, in partnership with Zeno Media. Contains audio livestreaming of TeleRadyo, MOR Entertainment and MyxRadio, as well as podcast versions of newscasts from ABS-CBN News and ANC. |
Defunct or inactive products and services
- CgeTV - was a user generated interactive cable channel.
- Get Amped/Amped Casual Games
- Cronous Pilipinas
- Ragnarok Online
- N-Age
- Tantra Online
- War Rock
- select PopCap Games
- Multiply (5%) - was a global social networking site.
- PinoyCentral - the precursor of ABS-CBN Digital Media
References
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