ABS-CBNmobile signaled its commercial launch by opening its first store in the country on Wednesday (Dec 11) where consumers can buy SIM cards, gadgets, and prepaid load.
ABS-CBN chairman Eugenio “Gabby” Lopez III said that ABS-CBNmobile will change the way Filipinos use their mobile devices and consume content by giving them the choice to watch their favorite programs at their chosen time and place, aside from allowing them to send text messages, make calls, and browse the Internet.
“Today, it is a novelty in the Philippines. But sooner than we think, this will become the norm, like it is becoming the standard viewing practice in Japan and Korea,” Lopez said during the store’s grand opening.
“This is the beginning of a new age in Philippine media. ABS-CBN’s programs on phones and tablets will change the boundaries of time and location,” he added.
ABS-CBNmobile’s iWanTV app allows users to watch programs on ABS-CBN, ANC, Studio 23, Nickelodeon, E!, and Knowledge Channel.
ABS-CBN president and CEO Charo Santos-Concio, meanwhile, said that fans will also be able to chat with and get exclusive content from their favorite stars through a special app available on ABS-CBNmobile.
“Today’s fans don’t just want to watch TV; they want to participate, they want to interact, they want to make their choice. It is how our company moves into the new age of media. And we are optimistic about it because we have our content that affirms, and our stars with their authentic relationship with the audience,” Santos-Concio said.
Launched in November, ABS-CBNmobile sought to help the survivors of super typhoon Yolanda by giving away100,000 SIM cards that they can use to communicate with their loved ones. The mobile service also launched a “share load” program by which subscribers can give load to the survivors.
“We might not have been able to launch with a fantastic ad campaign that our marketing team developed, but we are very proud of the fact that our improvised launch allowed us to show what ABS-CBNmobile really stood for – to be of service to the Filipino people,” said ABS-CBN Convergence head Carlo Katigbak.
ABS-CBN Convergence is ABS-CBN’s mobile telecommunications subsidiary and operates ABS-CBNmobile.
Also present during the grand opening were ABS-CBN executives led by Customer Relationship Management head and ABS-CBNmobile Marketing head Nandy Villar, and ABS-CBN stars and ABS-CBNmobile endorsers Erich Gonzales and Julia Montes.
The ABS-CBNmobile store is located on the ground floor of ABS-CBN’s ELJ Communications Center in Quezon City. For more information, just visit www.abscbnmobile.com, or follow @abscbnmobile on Twitter.