As the Lopez family corporate tensions in the Philippines roil, media unit ABS-CBN Corp is highlighting the wins that back its claim of viability. At the same time, 2025’s numbers just reported tell a story of stabilisation – not recovery, just yet. 

While the content story is strong and losses are narrowing, consolidated revenue is still down 9% and the company remains deeply unprofitable (US$79.2 million net loss). And then there’s the cable business... a tragic tale of collapse even with radical cost-cutting. 

The wins speak to ABS-CBN’s storytelling strengths and a capability built over decades that now anchor the company’s pivot away from the broadcast franchise it lost in 2020.

In 2025, ABS-CBN’s content production and distribution revenues hit ₱12.59 billion/US$211.1 million – up 5% – and losses narrowed 11% to ₱2.54 billion/US$42.6 million.

Advertising revenues were also up, ending the year at ₱421 million/US$7.1 million, helped by election spending and primetime hits such as Batang Quiapo, Incognito, Saving Grace and TV Patrol.

Consumer revenue grew 4% to ₱5.46 billion/US$91.6 million from ₱5.24 billion/US$87.9 million, with film, music, and live events – led by the sold-out BINI’s World Tour – all helping.

The latest results coincide with the ABS-CBN board’s overwhelming public support for CEO, Carlo Katigbak, and his recovery plan. Last week’s public statement by the majority of board members and advisors followed highly publicised reports that one of the board members – thought to be Federico “Piki” Lopez, who leads the group’s power and energy interests – had suggested at a meeting earlier this year that ABS-CBN be shut down.

A few titles were name checked in ABS-CBN’s latest earnings report, including Sosyal Climbers – Star Cinema’s first Netflix original. The romcom, produced, written and directed by Jason Paul Laxamana, topped the Netflix Philippines chart and spent two weeks in Netflix’s global top 10 for non-English films in early 2025.

Star Cinema also had the three highest-grossing Filipino films of the year. Call Me Mother topped the list with ₱389 million/US$6.5 million in worldwide gross, followed by Meet, Greet and Bye at ₱305 million/US$5.1 million and My Love Will Make You Disappear at ₱174 million/US$2.9 million.

The digital business was the segment’s strongest performer. Direct-to-consumer revenue hit an all-time high of ₱1.03 billion/US$17.3 million. Direct ad sales reached a record ₱842 million/US$14.1 million, up 23% from ₱685 million/US$11.5 million in 2024.

The ABS-CBN Entertainment YouTube channel posted 12 billion views and remained the top entertainment channel in the Philippines and Southeast Asia.

Streaming platform iWant relaunched in July with new originals MMK, Ghosting, and Love at First Spike, growing local subscribers by 19% from a year earlier.

Facebook revenue came in at ₱213 million/US$3.6 million.

At the group level, ABS-CBN’s recurring consolidated net loss improved by ₱588 million/US$9.9 million, or 13%, from a year earlier. Including one-time items, the reported net loss narrowed by 23% to ₱4.72 billion/US$79.2 million from ₱6.09 billion/US$102.1 million.

Consolidated revenue was down 9% to ₱15.85 billion/US$266.0 million as a 39% drop in Cable TV and Broadband revenue to ₱3.27 billion/US$54.8 million offset the gains in Content. Across the group, cost cuts brought consolidated operating expenses down 18%, or ₱4.50 billion/US$75.5 million, to ₱20.48 billion/US$343.5 million.

The Cable TV and Broadband business also improved on a recurring basis. Net loss narrowed by 17%, or ₱270 million/US$4.5 million, to ₱1.34 billion/US$22.5 million. Including one-time items, the reported net loss fell 82% to ₱776 million/US$13.0 million, helped by ₱3.04 billion/US$51.0 million in cost reductions.