ABS-CBN is not letting the lack of franchise renewal hold them down, as it was recently revealed that it has inked a historic deal with rival network, GMA.
On 5 April, a virtual contract signing was held between the two networks, with GMA executives Gilberto Duavit Jr, Philip Yalung, Annette Gozon Valdes, and Joey Abacan on one side, and ABS-CBN executives Carlo Katigbak, Mark Lopez, Cory Vidanes, and Ricardo Tan Jr. on another.
The said partnership is made to license some of Star Cinema’s most popular and well-loved movies on the Kapuso channel.
“Every storyteller’s dream is to have as many people as possible experience their creations. And now, because of the kindness of our friends at GMA, we have the special opportunity to bring our Kapamilya stories to a new audience. We hope the Kapuso find joy and inspiration in viewing our Star Cinema movies, and we also look forward to a new era of friendship and cooperation within our small industry,” said Katigbak.
Said Duavit, “Because the significance of our partnership today ushers in the possibility of a far broader set of conversations, potential partnership, and cooperation that will have the benefit not only neutrally to GMA and ABS-CBN but as importantly, if not, perhaps, more importantly to the benefit of the public we both serve, the Filipino viewer. Looking forward since we have, as they say, broken the ice. There’s great optimism that these conversations will continue or start and continue, and we look forward to the possibility of this type of opportunity again, moving forward.”
Among the notable movies that will be airing on GMA-7 include LizQuen’s “Alone/Together”, comedy movie, “Ang Babae sa Septic Tank”, John Lloyd Cruz and Sarah Geronimo’s “It Takes a Man and a Woman”, Kathryn Bernardo and Alden Richards’ “Hello, Love, Goodbye”, Angelica Panganiban’s “The Unmarried Wife”, and the Dingdong Dantes-starrer, “Seven Sundays”.
Others include, “Just the Way You Are”, “Fantastica”, “No Other Woman”, “The Panti Sisters”, “Isa Pa with Feelings”, “James & Pat & Dave”, and “Kay Tagal Kang Hinintay”.
The partnership came two years after ABS-CBN went off-air after its franchise renewal was blocked, forcing the network to resort to other platforms to air its shows and content.
(Photo Source: Bilyonaryo, ABS-CBN News, Preen)