News Broadcasting
Bihar votes, viewers float to CNN News18 as channel wins the ratings race
MUMBAI: When Bihar counted its ballots, India counted on one channel. As results rolled in on 14 November, CNN-News18 didn’t just cover the political drama, it became the story, sweeping the English news ratings with a margin that left rivals playing catch-up all day.
According to BARC India’s week 45 data, CNN-News18 clinched a commanding 41.9 per cent market share on result day, almost doubling the reach of its two closest competitors, NDTV 24×7 at 23.7 per cent and Times Now at 23.6 per cent.
(Source: BARC India | Mkt: India | TG: 2+ | Period: Wk 45’25 Market Share per cent 14 Nov (24hrs) | 8 channels considered).
But the real landslide came during the high-stakes counting window. Between 08:00 and 12:00, when Bihar’s political fate was being sealed, viewers chose their mandate with even greater clarity:
CNN-News18 surged to a massive 53 per cent share, dwarfing NDTV 24×7 at 18.6 per cent and Times Now at 15.1 per cent.
(Source: BARC India | Mkt: India | TG: 2+ | Period: Wk 45’25 Market Share per cent 14 Nov (08:00–12:00) | 8 channels considered)
For a state known for its nail-biting elections, audiences sought speed, accuracy and on-ground authority and overwhelmingly tuned into the channel they believed delivered all three. From reporters stationed across Bihar’s hotspots to a line-up of political heavyweights decoding every twist, CNN-News18 turned result day into a masterclass in live news.
The numbers underline a deeper truth: in moments when the nation leans in, trust becomes the ballot. And CNN-News18 has been stacking up those votes for a while. For over three consecutive years, the channel has held its position as India’s No. 1 English news network, powered by sharp analysis, fast fact-checking, and prime-time anchors such as Zakka Jacob, Anand Narasimhan, Rahul Shivshankar, and Shivani Gupta, names that have become shorthand for credible reportage.
As Bihar watched its political script unfold, viewers cast their silent mandate for the channel they believed would sift clarity from chaos. And on a day when numbers mattered, CNN-News18’s lead wasn’t just decisive, it was definitive.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
