NEWS
ABS-CBN rolls out new iWant as broadcast tower comes down; global streamer boosts streaming line-up with content partners, including rival GMA
14 July 2025
Philippines’ celebrities, creators and industry execs associated with ABS-CBN over the past 50 years turned out in force this month to bid farewell to the iconic Millennium Transmitter, which transmitted its first signal in 1969.
The tower is being demolished in the once-mighty broadcaster’s next shift into its future minus its broadcast franchise.
About 70% of the Quezon City HQ was sold in February this year to Ayala Land for ₱6.2 billion/US$110 million. ABS-CBN retained a small piece of the property as its HQ.
Next to go are the studios, which will be turned over in March 2026. The full transition is expected to be complete by the end of next year.
Social media feeds were filled with end-of-an-era tributes, most of which went along the lines of digital creator Patrick Alvarado’s “you can take down a tower, but you can’t erase what it stood for”.
The tears over the tower were barely dry as ABS-CBN celebrated the revamp of its global streaming platform, iWant. The company said the upgrade signalled “a new era of ABS-CBN’s digital transformation and viewer engagement”.
The new iWant showcase was led by ABS-CBN digital head Jamie Lopez, who said iWant “aspires to be more than just a streaming service”.
Echoing ABS-CBN’s long-held company-wide purpose, he said the platform was “a place where we welcome all storytellers and all types of storytelling. Somewhere that we can all be proud of, but most importantly, where we will continue to be of service to the Filipino”.
Unveiling the new look, iWant head Jolly Estaris showcased faster performance, sharper video previews, and seamless availability across devices.
ABS-CBN flagged upcoming iWant Original series, which feature stars like Shanaia Gomez and Kaori Oinuma, along with its acquisition of select shows and films from one-time rival GMA, which will be available outside the Philippines.
iWant titles also include shows from Regal Entertainment and Viva.
In September, the streamer i...
Philippines’ celebrities, creators and industry execs associated with ABS-CBN over the past 50 years turned out in force this month to bid farewell to the iconic Millennium Transmitter, which transmitted its first signal in 1969.
The tower is being demolished in the once-mighty broadcaster’s next shift into its future minus its broadcast franchise.
About 70% of the Quezon City HQ was sold in February this year to Ayala Land for ₱6.2 billion/US$110 million. ABS-CBN retained a small piece of the property as its HQ.
Next to go are the studios, which will be turned over in March 2026. The full transition is expected to be complete by the end of next year.
Social media feeds were filled with end-of-an-era tributes, most of which went along the lines of digital creator Patrick Alvarado’s “you can take down a tower, but you can’t erase what it stood for”.
The tears over the tower were barely dry as ABS-CBN celebrated the revamp of its global streaming platform, iWant. The company said the upgrade signalled “a new era of ABS-CBN’s digital transformation and viewer engagement”.
The new iWant showcase was led by ABS-CBN digital head Jamie Lopez, who said iWant “aspires to be more than just a streaming service”.
Echoing ABS-CBN’s long-held company-wide purpose, he said the platform was “a place where we welcome all storytellers and all types of storytelling. Somewhere that we can all be proud of, but most importantly, where we will continue to be of service to the Filipino”.
Unveiling the new look, iWant head Jolly Estaris showcased faster performance, sharper video previews, and seamless availability across devices.
ABS-CBN flagged upcoming iWant Original series, which feature stars like Shanaia Gomez and Kaori Oinuma, along with its acquisition of select shows and films from one-time rival GMA, which will be available outside the Philippines.
iWant titles also include shows from Regal Entertainment and Viva.
In September, the streamer is adding BINI World Tour Stories (aka BINIverse World Tour Stories), which tracks the P-pop band on its latest tour, along with ABS-CBN News and Current Affairs documentaries, and titles produced by partners including MavX, The Fat Kid Inside, Project 8Nathan Studios and Kinetek.
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