News Broadcasting
Times Now continues undisputed leadership
Mumbai: Asserting its dominance as the election news headquarters, Times Now emerged as the preferred news destination during the six-week polling phase of the Lok Sabha elections. Commanding the electoral landscape with extensive election reportage, and curated programming, Times Now led with a 29 per cent market share (BARC| 10L+| NCCS AB 22+| Wk.16-21’24) and garnered an impressive 31 per cent market share (BARC| 10L+| NCCS AB 22+| Wk.21’24, Weekdays 2000-2300hrs) in primetime viewership outpacing its competitors.
Viewership Shares – Wk.16-21 2024
Source: BARC| 10L+| NCCS AB 22+| Wk.16-21’24
Prime Time Shares
Source: BARC| 10L+| NCCS AB 22+| Wk.21’24, Weekdays 2000-2300hrs
As the elections advanced in phases, on the 5th phase of polling day, May 20, 2024, Times Now demonstrated its leadership by securing an impressive 27% viewership share (BARC| 10L+| NCCS AB 22+| 20th May 2024) reinforcing its dominance even on polling days.
5th Polling Day – 20th May 2024
Source: BARC| 10L+| NCCS AB 22+| 20th May 2024
Election news coverage on Times Now set a new benchmark in reportage, offering viewers comprehensive and engaging content throughout the electoral process. The channel’s strategic content included flagship shows like India Upfront and The Newshour; exclusive interviews with top political leaders such as Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, and External Affairs Minister S. Jaishankar, which were top picks among viewers. In a series of firsts for the channel, the special election programming featured engaging shows such as Election Premier League, Public Manch, and National Debate that encouraged critical thinking and active engagement in the democratic process, solidifying Times Now’s position as the go-to choice for election coverage. Enhancing the election coverage, the innovative ‘Election Yatra’ mobile studio travelled across the country, capturing the essence of democracy through interviews and on-ground talk shows.
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.
