BY JONATHAN HICAP
The battle for noontime TV show supremacy continued to heat up as the new “Eat Bulaga” surpassed Tito Sotto, Vic Sotto and Joey de Leon’s “E.A.T.” in the ratings.
Based on AGB Nielsen ratings for July 19, “Eat Bulaga” on GMA garnered a rating of 4.12 percent in the Nationwide Urban Television Audience Measurement (NUTAM) compared to TVJ’s “E.A.T.,” which received 3.79 percent on TV5 and “It’s Showtime” with 2.76 percent on A2Z and GTV.
The new hosts of "Eat Bulaga" (top) and Tito, Vic and Joey (Photos from Sparkle GMA Artist Center, "Eat Bulaga 1979" on Instagram)
The ratings for "Eat Bulaga," "E.A.T." and "It's Showtime" for July 19, 2023 (Photos from TAPE Inc.)
In a statement, the Television and Production Exponents Inc. (TAPE), the producer of the “Eat Bulaga,” expressed excitement over the ratings.
“We are beyond words. Thank you is not enough for our Kapuso. We promise to do better na makapagbigay ng ‘tulong at saya’ para masuklian ang pagmamahal na binibigay ng ating mga viewers to ‘Eat Bulaga,’” it said.
TAPE said the results of the ratings are an anniversary gift for “Eat Bulaga.”
“This is an early anniversary gift for ‘Eat Bulaga.’ Maraming salamat. Ang celebration po ng 44 years ng ‘Eat Bulaga’ ay celebration ng mga kababayan natin na tumangkilik at patuloy na tumatangkilik sa ‘Eat Bulaga’ mula noon hanggang ngayon. Salamat dahil hindi nyo kami binitiwan despite this trying time," it added.
TAPE and TVJ are in a battle over the ownership of the “Eat Bulaga” trademark. TAPE is renewing the registration of “Eat Bulaga” with the Intellectual Property Office of the Philippines (IPOPHL) but Tito, Vic and Joey have earlier applied to register it.
Meanwhile, TVJ and Jeny Ferre filed a complaint against TAPE and GMA Network for alleged copyright infringement and unfair competition before the Marikina Regional Trial Court Branch 273.
