Philippines’ broadcaster ABS-CBN has picked up TV and streaming rights to eight dramas from Thai media company GMMTV, and this week flagged a stronger alliance in the future as the two companies “explore co-production of film and television content, music, and live entertainment”.

The upsized partnership is part of the broader trend of strengthening alliances between media companies in Asia, and comes on top of ABS-CBN’s fierce struggles at home to regain its free-to-air broadcast franchise.  

GMMTV’s series will be dubbed in Tagalog for the Philippines and aired on ABS-CBN’s new cable service, Kapamilya Channel, as well as on ABS-CBN’s domestic Philippines streaming platform, iWant.

The acquisitions mark ABS-CBN’s first foray into the popular Thai Boy Love romantic drama genre after airing Thai movie, Crazy Little Thing Called Love, starring Mario Maurer in 2011.

First to air on Kapamilya Channel and iWant is the top-trending romance-comedy, 2gether The Series, starring Bright Vachirawit and Win Metawin (aka BrightWin). 

2gether tells the story of Tine and Sarawat, two college students who start a fake relationship and eventually fall for each other.

The series’ popular characters reunite in new episodes for Still 2Gether, which will also be simulcast in the Philippines on the Kapamilya Channel and iWant.

Air dates for titles have not yet been disclosed.

The latest acquisitions come on top of ABS-CBN’s carriage talks with pay-TV platforms across the country for its new Kapamilya Channel, which launched on 13 June.  

The Kapamilya Channel, launched while congressional hearings on ABS-CBN’s broadcast franchise continue, carries top local programmes as well as high-profile acquisitions, including Korean drama The World of A Married Couple. 

Local programmes include a mix of long-running favourites and new titles. 

ABS-CBN’s broadcast channel was forced off air on 5 May.