iWant
iWant is ABS-CBN's Filipino subscription video-on-demand, live-streaming, and digital-content platform.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
iWant is a Filipino over-the-top streaming service and digital production brand owned and operated by ABS-CBN Digital Media, a division of ABS-CBN Corporation. The service provides on-demand television programs, films, original digital productions, live television and radio streams, and selected programming from ABS-CBN's domestic and international content businesses. Although the current iWant identity dates from a 2018 relaunch and a 2025 return to the name, the service traces its roots to ABS-CBNnow!, an online television and video-on-demand platform introduced in 2003. ABS-CBNnow! was developed primarily for overseas Filipinos who wanted access to Philippine television programming through the internet. Early programming included news, drama, family entertainment, and variety titles such as TV Patrol, Maalaala Mo Kaya, Wansapanataym, and The Buzz. The service used subscription access and protected streaming or downloads delivered through Windows Media Player. By 2005, it reportedly had approximately 23,000 subscribers worldwide, with the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada among its important markets. In 2008, ABS-CBN rebranded ABS-CBNnow! as TFCnow!, aligning the online product with The Filipino Channel, ABS-CBN's international television brand. In 2011, TFCnow! became TFC.tv, also known as TFC Online. This international service offered overseas audiences both on-demand programming and live access to selected ABS-CBN and TFC content. A separate domestic product, iWant TV, was introduced in the Philippines in 2010. It combined free and subscription-based access to ABS-CBN programs with selected foreign channels and digital video offerings. In 2015, the service released its first digital-exclusive film, Must Date the Playboy, in partnership with ABS-CBN Mobile. In 2016, ABS-CBN partnered with PLDT and Smart Communications so that eligible mobile and broadband customers could access iWant TV content through their subscriptions. On November 16, 2018, iWant TV was relaunched as iWant. The repositioning emphasized a digital-first streaming proposition and original Filipino programming. The service introduced or promoted iWant Originals, including Spirits: Reawaken, Quezon's Game, Alamat ng Ano, Glorious, and MA. This phase placed iWant in a competitive field that included Netflix, Viu, Amazon Prime Video, Hooq, and iflix. On September 1, 2020, ABS-CBN combined the domestic iWant platform with the international TFC.tv service to create iWantTFC. The merger brought Philippine and overseas streaming operations into one service and extended online access to certain TFC IPTV and TFC Direct subscribers through the TFC Everywhere feature. In June 2021, ABS-CBN made the complete iWantTFC library free to users in the Philippines, changing the service's domestic access model. In April 2023, ABS-CBN and GMA Network announced an arrangement under which GMA international channels and selected programs would be made available on iWantTFC outside the Philippines. On May 7, 2025, ABS-CBN announced that the service would globally return to the iWant name. The rebrand was presented as an interface and performance update with a broader collection of Filipino and international titles. Initially expected in June, the revised service went live on July 9, 2025. The platform's catalog has been described as comprising more than 1,000 films and television series, more than 10,000 hours of content, live channels, and a substantial collection of iWant-produced films and series. Its programming is principally sourced from ABS-CBN's studios, film, broadcast, international, and affiliated content operations.
History
iWant's history reflects ABS-CBN's gradual expansion from internet video distribution into a unified domestic and international streaming business. The earliest predecessor, ABS-CBNnow!, launched in 2003 and was among the first Filipino-owned online television and video-on-demand services. It targeted overseas Filipinos and offered access to ABS-CBN programs through subscription streaming and protected downloads. The platform became TFCnow! in 2008, connecting the service more directly with The Filipino Channel's international identity. In 2011, it was renamed TFC.tv, or TFC Online, and continued as ABS-CBN's main online international service. Separately, ABS-CBN introduced iWant TV for the Philippine market in 2010. That domestic product offered free and paid access to ABS-CBN programming, selected foreign channels, and later digital-exclusive productions. The domestic service's 2018 relaunch as iWant marked a shift toward digital-first programming and exclusive original content. The platform promoted original films and series alongside ABS-CBN's established television catalog. On September 1, 2020, iWant and TFC.tv were consolidated as iWantTFC, combining domestic and international operations. The unified service also supported online access for certain subscribers of TFC IPTV and TFC Direct through TFC Everywhere. In 2021, ABS-CBN made the complete iWantTFC library free in the Philippines. The service subsequently expanded its content relationships, including a 2023 agreement with GMA Network covering international channels and selected programs. In 2025, ABS-CBN announced a return to the iWant name. The updated platform, launched on July 9, 2025, was described as offering a redesigned user experience, improved performance, and a wider collection of Filipino and international content. The service remains an ABS-CBN-owned streaming and production brand available in the Philippines and internationally.
- 2025
Return to the iWant name
[1]ABS-CBN announces and then implements the return from iWantTFC to iWant, with the updated service going live on July 9.
- 2023
GMA international content partnership
[1]ABS-CBN and GMA announce plans to distribute selected GMA international programming through iWantTFC.
- 2021
Full library made free domestically
[1]The complete iWantTFC library becomes free to users in the Philippines.
- 2020
iWant and TFC.tv merge
[1]The domestic and international platforms are combined under the iWantTFC name.
- 2018
iWant TV is relaunched as iWant
[1]The service adopts a digital-first positioning and begins emphasizing original Filipino programming.
- 2015
First iWant digital-exclusive film
[1]iWant TV premieres Must Date the Playboy in partnership with ABS-CBN Mobile.
- 2011
TFC.tv launches as the international platform
[1]TFCnow! is renamed TFC.tv, also known as TFC Online.
- 2010
iWant TV introduced
[1]ABS-CBN launches a separate domestic streaming service for Philippine audiences.
- 2008
Rebrand to TFCnow!
[1]The original online service adopts the TFCnow! name to align with The Filipino Channel's international brand.
- 2003
ABS-CBNnow! launches
[1]ABS-CBN introduces an online television and video-on-demand service aimed especially at overseas Filipinos.
Products and positioning
A Filipino-first, globally accessible streaming platform combining ABS-CBN's television and film library, original digital productions, and live channel access for audiences in the Philippines and overseas.
Online television and video-on-demand service · 2003
ABS-CBNnow!
The original 2003 predecessor to iWant. It provided overseas Filipinos with streamed and protected downloadable access to ABS-CBN television programs, including news, drama, family entertainment, and variety content.
International streaming service · 2011
TFC.tv
The international successor to TFCnow!, TFC.tv served overseas audiences with live and on-demand ABS-CBN and The Filipino Channel programming until its consolidation with iWant in 2020.
Domestic streaming service · 2010
iWant TV
The Philippine domestic predecessor of the current service. It offered free and subscription-based access to ABS-CBN programming, selected foreign channels, and digital productions before being relaunched as iWant in 2018.
Global streaming service · 2020
iWantTFC
The unified platform created by merging iWant and TFC.tv in 2020. It combined domestic and international on-demand libraries with live channel access and TFC Everywhere support.
OTT streaming and digital production platform · 2018
iWant
The current brand, restored in 2025, offers Filipino films, television series, original productions, and live streams of selected ABS-CBN channels and related services. It is available to audiences in the Philippines and internationally.
Brand decisions
2025
Return from iWantTFC to iWantGeneration changeBackground
ABS-CBN announced a renewed global identity for the consolidated streaming service.
Action taken
The service returned to the iWant name and introduced a redesigned interface, performance improvements, and an expanded Filipino and international catalog.
Aftermath
The updated platform went live on July 9, 2025.
2021
Domestic library access becomes freePrice changeBackground
ABS-CBN adjusted the Philippine access model for its unified streaming service.
Action taken
The full iWantTFC library was made free for users in the Philippines.
Aftermath
No further outcome is specified in the reference material.
2020
Consolidation of iWant and TFC.tvM&ABackground
ABS-CBN operated separate domestic and international streaming platforms with overlapping content and audiences.
Action taken
The company merged the services into iWantTFC, creating a single platform for Philippine and overseas users.
Aftermath
The unified service combined on-demand content, live channels, and access arrangements for certain TFC subscribers.
2018
Repositioning as a digital-first platformStrategyBackground
ABS-CBN relaunched iWant TV at a time when streaming services were increasingly competing through exclusive and original programming.
Action taken
The service adopted the iWant name and emphasized original Filipino films and series alongside ABS-CBN's existing catalog.
Aftermath
The relaunch established iWant as ABS-CBN's domestic digital streaming brand before its later merger with TFC.tv.
Recent events
Reported
ABS-CBN launches iWantTFC streaming service[2]
ABS-CBN launched the larger iWantTFC streaming service, offering Filipino movies, shows and other content to viewers worldwide, including early access to selected ABS-CBN series episodes.
- Unconfirmed
OPPO announces Pay Day Treats promotion in Metro Manila[3]
OPPO announced a promotion at concept stores in Metro Manila for November 16–17, 2019. Customers buying an eligible OPPO Reno-series or A9 2020 phone could receive vouchers or subscriptions from partner services Zomato, Grab, Viu, and iWant.
Sources3 sources
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