GMA Network Inc. is entering the final stages of its transition to a purely digital broadcast format, aligning with a government mandate to deactivate all analog television operations in Mega Manila by year-end.
The shift represents a significant operational pivot for the media giant, requiring the permanent decommissioning of the primary analog transmitters that power its main channels, GMA-7 and GTV, according to GMA President and Chief Executive Officer Gilberto Duavit Jr.
The network approaches this final phase with a robust digital footprint that already covers approximately 90 percent of TV households across the country.
Addressing shareholders during the network’s annual meeting on Friday, July 17, Duavit explained that the technical transition would be highly manageable.
“Our digital infrastructure has been designed to accommodate precisely periodic directives on shutdowns,” Duavit said. “It’s almost literally simply turning off the two main analog transmitters in Mega Manila.”
Even with its widespread digital availability, GMA noted that a lingering industry challenge involves safeguarding access to free-to-air television for viewers who still rely on analog setups. Executives conceded that pinpointing the exact size of the audience vulnerable to the analog deactivation remains a difficult task.
To cushion the impact on viewers, the National Telecommunications Commission (NTC) is collaborating with other state agencies to create support programs for households that have not yet upgraded.
GMA also intends to launch a public information drive and leverage its remaining stock of digital receivers, such as the GMA Affordabox, to assist consumers in adapting to the changes.
Phasing out parallel analog and digital broadcasts is anticipated to lower operating overhead by cutting the costs tied to running twin transmission systems. Management targets this cost efficiency as a pillar of its strategy to deliver long-term value to investors, who hold over 3.3 billion common shares and 7.5 billion preferred shares.
In tandem with upgrading its broadcast backbone, GMA is driving its digital growth forward with projects like GMA Play, a streaming platform debuted in February 2026.
By embedding the service into its established mobile app ecosystem, the network secured over 4.4 million downloads without facing major extra rollout or programming expenses.
The proprietary platform grants the media company tighter authority over how its programming is shared, curbing its dependency on external providers while unlocking new avenues for ad revenue.
“Another positive derivative benefit is the fact that it allows us now to monetize content which ordinarily we would not have been able to,” Duavit noted, referring to foreign licensing agreements that limit content distribution to company-owned digital platforms.
The network acknowledged that the ultimate impact of these strategies hinges on successfully steering its conventional television viewers toward digital platforms, as well as how both audiences and advertisers adapt to the shifting media environment.