ABS-CBN Corporation is boldly setting its sights on profitability within the next 18 months, signaling a confident and strategic turnaround as the media giant officially abandons its bid for a new broadcast franchise.
In a virtual stockholders’ meeting on Wednesday, ABS-CBN President and CEO Carlo Katigbak outlined the company’s focused roadmap toward recovery. The plan builds on aggressive cost-cutting, debt reduction, and an accelerated shift to digital and content partnerships—core elements that Katigbak said are “now bearing fruit.”
“We believe the company is in a better financial position today,” Katigbak told shareholders. “And with continued discipline, we are optimistic about returning to profitability within the next 18 months.”
This announcement comes alongside a historic move: ABS-CBN has formally stepped away from efforts to regain its broadcast franchise—a decision confirmed by company Chairman Mark Lopez. The franchise, once the backbone of the country’s largest media network, was controversially revoked in 2020 under the Duterte administration, silencing ABS-CBN’s free-to-air television operations after decades of public service.
From Shutdown to Reinvention
Despite losing its broadcast platform—a move widely criticized as politically motivated—ABS-CBN has refused to fade. Instead, the company embarked on a profound transformation, pivoting to cable, digital, and international platforms. It now reaches millions through the Kapamilya Channel, iWantTFC, The Filipino Channel, Kapamilya Online Live, and licensing arrangements with networks like A2Z, TV5, GMA Network, BEAM TV, and AllTV.
Earlier this year, ABS-CBN also finalized the sale of its historic Broadcast Center in Quezon City to Ayala Land, a symbolic yet practical shift as it consolidates production into state-of-the-art facilities in Bulacan.
“We’ve moved beyond the franchise,” Lopez affirmed. “What matters now is how we serve our audiences and grow sustainably in this new media environment.”
The company’s renewed focus is now on sustainability and innovation. With trimmed operating expenses, a stronger balance sheet, and rising digital revenues, executives are confident that profitability is within reach by late 2026.
Analysts note the company’s 18-month target as ambitious but achievable, citing resilient content creation, operational discipline, and growing partnerships that span both local and global platforms.
For many Filipinos, ABS-CBN remains a symbol—not just of entertainment, but of journalism, public service, and cultural pride. Its decision to move forward without a broadcast franchise is not a surrender, but a bold declaration of independence and reinvention.
After being forced off the airwaves, ABS-CBN has chosen to rise—on its own terms, on new platforms, and with the same unwavering commitment to the Filipino people.
“We are not defined by the loss of a frequency,” Katigbak said. “We are defined by the stories we tell, the values we uphold, and the communities we serve.”
