Millions of Kapamilya viewers were left shocked on Saturday, November 29, after ABS-CBN’s main YouTube channel — ABS-CBN Entertainment, one of the largest in Southeast Asia with over 56 million subscribers — suddenly went offline in the middle of ‘It’s Showtime’s’ livestream.
The abrupt takedown happened shortly after the channel reportedly began streaming unauthorized content, prompting concerns that it had been hacked.
Viewers attempting to access the channel or previously uploaded videos were met with a notice saying: “This channel was removed because it violated our community guidelines.”
With its main channel inaccessible, ABS-CBN quickly implemented contingency measures to keep its shows available to the public.
Kapamilya Online Live continues streaming via the ABS-CBN Entertainment Facebook page and the official YouTube channel of iWantTFC.
‘It’s Showtime’, whose livestream was disrupted, remains available through: its official Facebook page, GMA Network’s social media channels. ‘TV Patrol’, ‘Tao Po’, and other news programs remain accessible via the ABS-CBN News YouTube channel. Shows are also streaming through the 24/7 Kapamilya Channel feed on the iWant app.
ABS-CBN has yet to release a detailed public statement regarding the channel’s takedown, but recovery efforts are believed to be underway.
The network encountered a similar issue in November 2020, when the YouTube channels of ABS-CBN News and ANC were compromised and taken offline for several hours after being hacked.
YouTube enforces strict Community Guidelines covering hacked accounts, spam, scams, and harmful content. When a breach is detected — or when a channel begins streaming suspicious material — YouTube may automatically suspend or remove the channel to protect the platform and its users.
In some cases, takedowns can also result from false positives, and channels are reinstated after review. Creators may file appeals if they believe their channel was removed in error.
For now, Kapamilyas can continue watching regular programming across ABS-CBN’s alternative platforms while the network works to restore its flagship YouTube channel.
