ABS-CBN trims losses, debts in 2025 as profit return nears

April 21, 2026 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — Media giant ABS-CBN Corp. is well on its way to returning to profit, as it trimmed its losses by 23 percent in 2025 and brought down debts quicker than expected.

Based on its financial report, ABS-CBN’s net loss dropped to P4.72 billion in 2025, from P6.09 billion in 2024, as the company intensified cost-cutting measures to level its finances.

While the company posted a nine-percent dip in revenue to P15.85 billion, it managed to mitigate this by slashing expenses by 18 percent to P20.48 billion.

The company said cost controls were rolled out to lower operating expenses. These measures included the disposal of idle assets and reduction in employee count, as ABS-CBN tries to put up a content-oriented business, far from its former structure as a broadcasting giant.

For 2025, ABS-CBN was aiming to cut debts to P12.8 billion, but the company achieved a better result than planned. Interest-bearing loans declined by 25 percent to P11.79 billion, as it sold mortgaged assets to pay maturing obligations.

Even ABS-CBN’s broadband and cable unit Sky Cable Corp. trimmed debts by 26 percent to P3.3 billion following the signing of a refinancing deal with lenders to adjust interest rates and extend payment terms up to 2032.

Still, ABS-CBN has a long way to go before it returns to profitability, as cable and broadband revenues fell by 39 percent to P3.27 billion due to its declining subscriber base.

This wrote off the five-percent increase in content advertising and consumer revenues to P12.59 billion, which was lifted largely by election-related placements and high-rating hits like Batang Quiapo, Incognito and TV Patrol.

In spite of this, ABS-CBN is finding a groove in areas where it is expanding. ABS-CBN’s digital revenues picked up by six percent, thanks to ad placements on iWant and Kapamilya Online Live, as well as subscriber expansion on third-party channels like YouTube.

ABS-CBN is blooming on the live-event front, with girl group BINI delivering a world tour that began with a sold-out show at the Philippine Arena. It also developed the three highest-grossing films of 2025, namely, Call Me Mother (P389 million), Meet, Greet and Bye (P305 million) and My Love Will Make You Disappear (P174 million).

In June 2025, ABS-CBN president and CEO Carlo Katigbak said the company would likely return to profit in 18 months, driven by new revenue sources and expansion of cost-cutting measures.

The company is trying to get back up on its feet in the absence of a legislative franchise to air on free TV, which was thumbed down by legislators at the height of the pandemic in 2020.

Latest