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What Filipinos were watching during the lockdown

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Anna Gabrielle Cerezo, ABS-CBN News

<div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/10/img_9524.jpeg"/></figure></div><p>MANILA -- While many industries collapsed under the weight of the lockdown governments around the world imposed to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, streaming services thrived on the stay at home order. </p><p>Streaming giant Netflix, for example, announced that over 15 million people signed up for the paid subscription during the quarantine period.</p><p>Data gathered by the iPrice Group revealed traffic for the streaming giant increased by nearly 1 billion. From 2 billion in February, web visits leaped to 2.97 billion in April. </p><p>Likewise, other streaming services experienced similar success. Web visits for Apple TV, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, iFlix, rose by about 145 million, 81 million, 13 million, and 2 million, respectively. </p><p>With binge-watching now part of the “new normal,” iPrice Group took a look at the content taking over the country’s small screens. </p><p>“We did a study on the streaming behavior of Filipinos during the period of the lockdown... Streaming movies and shows is one way to get people’s minds out of this sad reality. Can we even count the number of shows we watched during this pandemic,” Isabelle Romualdez, iPrice Group content marketing executive said. </p><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/news/06/10/img_9525.jpeg"/></figure></div><p>“The interests on TV shows and movies were curated by recording each shows’ searches on Google from January to May, before and after lockdown… We compared the period of peak searches after lockdown with the searches two months prior to the lockdown,” she added. </p><div><strong>K-DRAMA HYPE</strong></div><p>Although K-drama had already taken the country by a storm a few years back, data gathered revealed even more Filipinos jumped into the Hallyu wave during the COVID-19 crisis. </p><p>Viu, the popular streaming platform for Korean dramas (and other Asian programs), for example, amassed more viewers during the lockdown. Visits to the streaming platform peaked from 25.9 million hits in February to a total of 41.3 million in April.</p><p>“K-dramas garnered a consistent amount of interest throughout the lockdown,” Romualdez said.</p><p>According to the report, among the most watched South Korean shows, &quot;Itaewon Class,&quot; a revenge saga based on the webtoon of the same name, had a whopping 9,900 percent increase in searches during the enhanced community quarantine. </p><ul class="op-related-articles">	<li><a href="https://news.abs-cbn.com/entertainment/03/30/20/netflix-review-itaewon-class-offers-a-delicious-tale-of-revenge-romance-and-then-some">Review: ‘Itaewon Class’ offers a delicious tale of revenge, romance, and then some</a></li></ul><div class="embed-wrap"><figure data-feedback="fb:likes,fb:comments"><img src="http://sa.kapamilya.com/absnews/abscbnnews/media/2020/reuters/06/10/korean.jpg"/><figcaption>In ‘Itaewon Class,’ Park Seo-joon stars as Park Saeroyi, an ex-convict turned resto-bar owner who seeks to exact revenge on the people responsible for his father’s death. </figcaption></figure></div><p>Meanwhile, interest for &quot;Reply 1988,&quot; a drama series about five families living on the same street, grew by 456 percent. </p><p>&quot;Crash Landing on You,&quot; the wildly popular star crossed tale between a North Korean soldier and a South Korean tycoon, rose by 105 percent during the quarantine period.</p><p>“Naturally, &#x27;Crash Landing&#x27; reached its peak searches after its final episode aired in February, before the lockdown but searches dramatically decreased in just two weeks… After the ECQ was implemented, there was an immediate resurgence of search interests,” Romualdez said. </p><div><strong>RESURGENCE OF OLDER SITCOMS</strong></div><p>Some jokes never get old. According to Romualdez, many Filipinos revisited popular American comedies that aired in the first decade of the 2000s during the lockdown. </p><p>The study revealed the recently concluded mockumentary comedy &quot;Modern Family,&quot; which debuted in 2009, was searched 426 percent more on streaming sites. </p><p>Interest in &quot;Community,&quot; a series about a group of study buddies at a community college that aired in the same year, on the other hand, increased by 400 percent. </p><p>Meanwhile, searches for &quot;How I Met Your Mother,&quot; an award winning sitcom that first aired in 2005, rose by 355 percent. </p><div><strong>LOCAL FAVORITES</strong></div><p>The iPrice Group noted Filipinos were also particularly drawn to historical movies during the health crisis. Among the top searched local films, interest for the half a decade old iconic movie, &quot;Heneral Luna&quot; and 2018&#x27;s &quot;Goyo: Ang Batan Heneral&quot; grew by 809 percent and 300 percent respectively. </p><p>According to the report, numerous Filipinos rewatched the hit comedy-drama &quot;Four Sisters and a Wedding.&quot; Searches for the 2013 movie starring Bea Alonso, Angel Locsin, Toni Gonzaga, and Shaina Magdayao surged by 376 percent. </p><p>Based on the research iPrice conducted, the Spanish thriller, &quot;Money Heist (La Casa de Papel),&quot; was the most searched title during the ECQ. </p><p>“Searches for &#x27;Money Heist&#x27; during this period increased by 157 percent… &#x27;Money Heist’s&#x27; spike is due to its latest season’s release,” Romualdez explained. </p><p>For more information, see full report <a href="https://iprice.ph/trends/insights/from-k-dramas-heneral-luna-what-filipinos-watch-during-coronavirus/?nocache=1">here</a>.</p>

<p>While many industries collapsed under the weight of the lockdown governments around the world imposed to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, streaming services thrived on the stay at home order. </p>

While many industries collapsed under the weight of the lockdown governments around the world imposed to contain the coronavirus disease 2019 outbreak, streaming services thrived on the stay at home order.

What Filipinos were watching during the lockdown

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What Filipinos were watching during the lockdown

Anna Gabrielle Cerezo,

ABS-CBN News

Published June 10, 2020 06:01 AM PHT

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Netflix

streaming

K-drama

iPrice Group

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