Kitchie Benedicto

The following is a list of events affecting Philippine television in 2021. Events listed include television show debuts, finales, cancellations, and channel launches, closures and rebrandings, as well as information about controversies and carriage disputes.

Events

January

* January 1
** After past six years of broadcasting in the Philippines, Disney XD has ceased its operations by Disney Branded Television (a unit of Disney General Entertainment Content owned by The Walt Disney Company) across Southeast Asia due to a review of Disney's business direction and the upcoming launch of their own streaming service in the region.
** Sky Cable terminated GINX Esports TV and Stingray Classica on its line-up due to the expiration of Sky's contract with the said networks. GINX Esports TV continued to air via Cignal and G Sat under the distribution by Mediahouse/Club TV (under Mimyuni Media Entertainment from Kick Media) and SES, while Stingray Classica continued to air via G Sat and selected nationwide cable operators.
* January 2 – Cignal terminated eight Fox Networks Group (a subsidiary of The Walt Disney Company) channels: Channel V, Fox Crime, Fox Family Movies, Fox News Channel, Fox Sports 3, FX, Nat Geo People and Star Chinese Channel, on its line-up due to the expiration of Cignal's contract with the company. Meanwhile, ten Disney/Fox channels continued to air on their line-up until eight of them ceased operations nine months later.
* January 4
** Cignal launched eleven channels on their line-up: Aniplus, Blue Ant Extreme, Jeepney TV, Knowledge Channel, K-Plus, Metro Channel, Nick Jr., Paramount Network (branded from Paramount Channel as prior to the announced February 1 rebranding), TAP Edge, TAP Sports and Telenovela Channel.
** Cablelink terminated seven channels: Colours, Disney Junior, Fox Family Movies, K Movies Pinoy, Nat Geo Wild, One Sports+ and Sari-Sari Channel, on its line-up due to the expiration of Cablelink's contract and unpaid carriage fees with the said companies. In addition, Cablelink launched Tagalized Movie Channel (via CNN International), One News, and both TAP Edge and TAP TV (via NBC News), as well as other international news channels (including BBC World News, Bloomberg Television, CNBC Asia, CNA and Fox News) aired the special coverage of the Inauguration of Joe Biden live from Washington, D.C.
** ABS-CBN Corporation and PLDT's Beneficial Trust Fund (MediaQuest Holdings through TV5 Network, Inc. and Cignal TV), in collaboration with Brightlight Productions, announced a partnership agreement to air Sunday noontime variety show and afternoon movie block via TV5 that began on January 24.
* January 29 – VivaMax made its official launched after a month and 14 days of being in soft operations on December 15, 2020.

February

* February 1 – Comedy Central (after past seven years of broadcasting in the Philippines) and MTV China have ceased its operations by ViacomCBS across Southeast Asia. In addition, Paramount Channel Asia rebranded as Paramount Network Asia.
* February 4 – MediaQuest Holdings, through Cignal TV announced a 3-year deal with the Premier Volleyball League to aired the games beginning with the 4th season (17th overall season for the former Shakey's V-League) One Sports, One Sports+, Cignal Play and Smart Gigafest. This is the second league organized by Sports Vision to broadcast on Cignal and One Sports (the first one being Spikers' Turf since 2018). This also the third time that the volleyball league games broadcast on the company since 2005–2006 on ABC-5 (now TV5; under Associated Broadcasting Company, now TV5 Network, Inc.) and 2012–2013 on Hyper (now One Sports+; under MediaQuest) both as the Shakey's V-League, and marked the end of its stint with ABS-CBN Corporation following the non-renewal of its congressional franchise on July 10, 2020, and the dissolution of ABS-CBN Sports division to close its business operations on August 31, 2020.
* February 6 – JM Yosures of Taguig proclaimed as ''Tawag ng Tanghalan'' Year 4 Grand Champion on '' It's Showtime''.
* February 7 – GMA Network launched "GMA Now", a digital TV dongle for Android smartphones.
* February 10 – G Sat terminated four Mediahouse/Club TV (under Mimyuni Media Entertainment from Kick Media) and SES channels: GINX Esports TV, Health & Wellness, Luxe & Life and Pet & Pal, as well as four other channels: Amazing Discoveries TV, Fight COVID-19 (information channel), Sonlife Broadcasting Network and Stingray Classica on its line-up due to the revamping of the provider's channel space assignments. Meanwhile, two Mediahouse/Club TV (under Mimyuni Media Entertainment from Kick Media) and SES channels: Motorvision TV and My Cinema Europe, continued to air on their line-up. In addition, G Sat launched eight channels on their line-up: Da Vinci Kids, DreamWorks Channel, Myx, Paramount Network, TAP Edge, TAP Sports, TAP TV and Travel Channel, as well as two returned channels: Aniplus and K-Plus.
* February 14 – My Only Radio rebranded to "MOR Entertainment", transitioned to a new media (online) entity network from a broadcast terrestrial radio network via multiple digital platforms on Facebook, iWantTFC, Kumu, Spotify and YouTube.
* February 20
** Sky Cable terminated Life TV on its line-up due to the expiration of Sky's contract with the network. Meanwhile, the network continued to air via BEAM TV until its closure on June 1, 2025.
** Abby Trinidad was hailed as the MNL48's third-generation center girl in the girl group's third general election held on ''It's Showtime''.
* February 22 – GMA News TV rebranded to GTV, a secondary channel for news, entertainment and sports content in lieu with their parent network. Prior to the rebranding announcement on February 9 by GMA Network, Inc., GMA News TV increased generalist content (similar to the former Citynet Television and Q) since September 2020 where news and public affairs content were decreased as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic. GTV's programming include the upcoming ''NCAA Philippines'' (where GMA Network sealed a 5-year deal with the league on November 21, 2020, which led the reason behind the network's rebranding) and GMA News TV's current and existing programming such as weekly public affairs series and newscasts–including ''Balitanghali'', '' State of the Nation'', '' GMA Regional TV Weekend News'' (later dropped the "GMA" moniker as ''Regional TV Weekend News''), ''GMA Regional TV Strip'' (later dropped the "GMA" moniker as ''Regional TV Strip''), ''Dobol B sa News TV'' (later renamed as ''Dobol B TV''), ''News TV Live'' (later dropped the "TV" word as '' News Live'') and the simulcast of ''24 Oras'' (for weeknight and later weekend editions), along with movie blocks, Asianovelas and animated series. Following the rebranding of the domestic network to its current name, the News TV brand continued to use through its international version.

March

* March 5 – ABS-CBN Corporation and PLDT's Beneficial Trust Fund (MediaQuest Holdings through TV5 Network, Inc. and Cignal TV) inked an extended partnership agreement for the airing of weeknight primetime shows produced and distributed from ABS-CBN Entertainment via TV5 that began on March 8.
* March 8 – TV5 unveiled a new relaunched slogan entitled TV5 TodoMax and a revamped programming grid that divided into five blocks: TodoMax Kids (cartoons and kids-oriented), TodoMax Serbisyo (public service), TodoMax Panalo (weekday noontime and afternoon line-up), TodoMax Primetime (later renamed as TodoMax Primetime Singko; weeknight primetime line-up) and TodoMax Weekend (weekend line-up).
* March 10 – The Maharlika Pilipinas Basketball League has resumed their play after almost a year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines and the ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy (which led the closure of its sports division) to finish off the 2019–20 season in a bubble setup in the Subic Bay Freeport Zone, with the games being aired on A2Z, iWantTFC and TFC.
* March 14 – Liofer Pinatacan of Zamboanga del Sur was hailed as the winner of '' Pinoy Big Brother: Connect''.
* March 16 – CNN Philippines implemented a lay off program covering some of its employees due to COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines.
* March 17
** People's Television Network temporary stopped its broadcast and limited its programming through online to allow the disinfection of its studios in Quezon City. Their Twitter account posted a controversial tweet about the attacking of President Rodrigo Duterte with the hashtag #DutertePalpak and the mention of the South Korean boyband group BTS, causing the president pertained to the COVID-19 pandemic as a "small thing in our lives". The network later apologized and filed for an investigation against the mastermind behind the said tweet.
** ABS-CBN Entertainment and WeTV iflix signed a multi-year partnership to air early access of ABS-CBN's primetime shows on the partners' two streaming services starting on March 20.
* March 22 – Four GMA News programs: Balitanghali, Saksi, State of the Nation and Unang Hirit, became the newest addition of newscasts to incorporate simultaneous sign language interpretation for the deaf and hard of hearing on its broadcast, as well as the online livestream on YouTube being converted to high definition.
* March 29–31 – In protocol response to the emerge wake on the threat surge of uprising COVID-19 cases in the Philippines and the restrictions caused by the second Enhanced Community Quarantine in Greater Manila Area due to the wave of virus mutations in different variants, It's Showtime and Eat Bulaga! cancelled the productions of their annual "Lenten Drama Specials" for the second year. The former aired replays since their second suspension was on March 18, while the latter replaced with the filmed pre-produced episodes before the start of the second lockdown.

April

* April 1–3
** GTV revived its Holy Week special programming every Easter Triduum, after 10 years since GMA News TV never used this practice in 2011.
** Solar Entertainment Corporation announced a 3-day break on four digital free-to-air and pay TV channels: ETC, Front Row Channel, Solar Learning and Solar Sports, in observance of Holy Week. Meanwhile, Shop TV continued to air on pay TV platforms.
** The English-language ABS-CBN News Channel along with simultaneous telecast of TeleRadyo aired a special Holy Week programming as prior to the surge of COVID-19 cases in the Philippines since last year.
** The Healing Eucharist aired its special liturgical masses during the Paschal Triduum for this year. The Holy Week Masses was filmed on the ABS-CBN Chapel, instead from the normal studio used in the past years, and it was broadcast simultaneously for three days on cable TV via Kapamilya Channel, online via Kapamilya Online Live and iWantTFC, and on free-to-air via A2Z (where the network has a right of first refusal to carry as part of a programming agreement with ABS-CBN Corporation along with SVD-Mission Communications Foundation's "Seven Last Words", due to the Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide's ownership). Meanwhile, Jeepney TV continued to carry on a delay basis.
* April 2
** SVD-Mission Communications Foundation's "Seven Last Words" returned for pre-recorded this year, after the 2020 edition was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines and the ABS-CBN franchise renewal controversy (which caused their television networks to shutdown), and it was broadcast simultaneously on cable TV via Kapamilya Channel, online via Kapamilya Online Live and iWantTFC, and on free-to-air via A2Z (MCFI's director Fr. Bel San Luis later acknowledged Jesus Is Lord Church Worldwide and ZOE Broadcasting Network founder Eddie Villanueva during the special program's closing message, as the church's channel ownership also refused to carry Catholic liturgical masses during the Paschal Triduum due to their programming agreement with ABS-CBN Corporation). Meanwhile, Jeepney TV continued to air on a delay basis.
** The Dominican Fathers of the Philippines' "Siete Palabras" was pre-recorded again for the second year filmed at the Santo Domingo Church in Quezon City and other locations affiliated with the Dominican Fathers throughout Luzon (including the University of Santo Tomas in Manila and the Minor Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary of Manaoag in Manaoag, Pangasinan) due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, and it was broadcast on television via GMA Network (selected GMA Regional TV stations in Visayas and Mindanao were pre-empted and replaced with their own local versions) for the 13th year and on radio via Radyo Veritas in Metro Manila as well as other Catholic Media Network affiliated stations nationwide.
* April 3
** APT Entertainment cancelled the productions of their annual "Black Saturday Lenten Drama Special" for the second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, which was supposed to air on GMA Network. In lieu of the special, the network replaced by the marathon of First Yaya.
** Jesuit Communications Foundation Holy Week Specials returned for productions after a year of absence due to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Philippines, with "Fiesta: Ang Makulay na Pananampalatayang Pilipino" as this year's theme. It also marks the first JESCOM Holy Week special to broadcast on GMA Network, ending its 15-year stint with ABS-CBN Corporation following the non-renewal of its congressional franchise on July 10, 2020, and the first JESCOM special to be aired on the said network after 5 years since "Mabuhay Lolo Kiko" in 2015 (GMA replaced from the planned Stations of the Cross with Pope Francis in Vatican City for the second year due to the COVID-19 pandemic in Vatican City).
* April 5
** GMA Network launched its brand new movie channel on digital terrestrial television, I Heart Movies.
** Cignal launched five channels on their line-up: CinemaWorld, Fight Sports, GEM, TechStorm and WakuWaku Japan.
* April 9–11 – GTV became the official broadcaster of the 191st General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints on national free-to-air (analog and digital) and cable TV via satellite delay from the Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, making the second time the channel aired the conference.
* April 12 – Intercontinental Broadcasting Corporation temporary suspended their network produced programs as prior to its limited broadcasting hours which only airs DepEd TV every Monday to Saturday at 7:00 am to 7:00 pm and several programs produced by blocktimers on Sunday at 7:00 am to 10:00 am due to limited programming redundancies and the "quarantine safety protocol issues". Their regular programming schedule line-up and broadcasting hours were resumed its Sunday schedule on April 25, the Weekday schedule on May 3, and the Saturday schedule on May 8.
* April 28 – Newsline Philippines, an independent regional news outlet and media organization bureau service based in Davao under Altheni Advertisement and Consultants founded in 2016, expanded into a television channel as it broadcast via selected key areas in the Philippines.
* April 29 – GMA Network and IQiyi sealed a multi-year deal to air GMA's entertainment programs on the latter's streaming service.

May

* May 1
** After one year and nine months of broadcasting, K Movies Pinoy has ceased its operations by Viva Entertainment due to permanent discontinuation of its telecast by the content provider. Meanwhile, all Filipino-dubbed Korean movies continued to air on its sister channel, Tagalized Movie Channel

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