News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide, Babelgum sign global content deal
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide, the commercial arm of UK pubcaster BBC, has signed a global deal with Internet TV platform Babelgum to provide clip content ranging from natural history, travel to other factual shows in the BBC Worldwide portfolio.
Under this deal, BBC Worldwide will provide short-form content from a range of programmes including that of David Attenborough documentaries, the Tribe series and Top Gear series, for viewing on the Babelgum platform.
Clips shown on the service will be supported by advertising and made available through three new branded channels: BBC LoveEarth, BBC Knowledge and BBC Entertainment, which will be launched within the next two weeks.
Through this deal, BBC Worldwide aims to broaden the reach of its content to new channels and outlets apart from engaging with audiences worldwide.
Babelgum CEO Valerio Zingarelli said, “We are glad to be able to offer a wide variety of programmes as short-form content tailored for the Internet. These include shows with a massive international following such as Top Gear, Tribe and Galapagos. The BBC brand is known around the world and by bringing these brands to the Babelgum platform we aim to emphasise our position as a point of reference for Nature and Science’s audiences.”
“Babelgum’s focus on natural history and the environment is a great fit for us. We’ve got a wealth of content in this genre and we’re excited about making it available to Babelgum’s users around the globe. Babelgum is an innovative player in the market and a great way of reaching out to an audience that perhaps doesn’t see our content on more traditional channels,” BBC Worldwide digital media content and development head Jemma Adkins added.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI:Â Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
