The new arrangement allows the two competing noontime shows to air on both TV channels starting this month.
Not only ABS-CBN’s 12-year noon time show, It’s Showtime is expanding to TV5, its current rival show, Lunch Out Loud is also expanding, but this time to A2Z Channel 11 and Kapamilya Channel, where the Kapamilya noontime show is exclusively airing.
The Brightlight-produced program, however, will be the one to adjust. Hosted by former Kapamilya personalities Billy Crawford, Bayani Agbayani, Alex Gonzaga, K Brosas, and among others– Lunch Out Loud, will now be called Tropang LOL. It will take the pre-noontime slot. The reformatted show will now have to deal with the new Kapuso variety show, Tick-To-Clock, which also premieres this month.
Interestingly, Crawford, who previously hosted It’s Showtime, will be seeing his program pitted against the one hosted by his former It’s Showtime co-host, Kim Atienza, who moved to the Kapuso Network from ABS-CBN last year.
According to AGB Nielsen National Urban TV Measurement (NUTAM) data, It’s Showtime and Lunch Out Loud are currently the second and third most-watched programs on noontime, respectively. With their respective expansions–it is only expected that their viewerships will also expand.
In an interview, Bayani Agbayani, expressed his excitement over the upcoming collaboration.
“Happy ako kasi sa tatlong channels na mapapanood ang Tropang LOL, sa A2Z, Kapamilya Channel, at TV5” he said as he also noted that their program may also head to TFC, as two other Brightlight-produced shows — Top Class and Sing Galing — already did.
The comedian also said in an interview by PEP that he cherishes the feeling of excitement as both shows can potentially pull each other up in the rating game.
“Tapos magtutulungan pa kami ng It’s Showtime para lalong mag-rate pareho ang aming mga shows,” he said.
Agbayani, alongside co-hosts Alex Gonzaga and Wacky Kiray, were last seen in ABS-CBN via the music mystery game show, I Can See Your Voice.
ABS-CBN is yet to release an official announcement about the upcoming collaboration. Reports have said that the back-to-back airing of Tropang LOL and Its Showtime on TV5, A2Z, and Kapamilya Channel will take place on July 16.
