News Broadcasting
ABP Network’s digital platforms hit record numbers in exit poll coverage
Mumbai: ABP Network, a pioneer and leader when it comes to political journalism, has consistently been at the forefront of delivering comprehensive, timely, and insightful coverage of the political landscape in India. The network proved its leadership position in the industry was once again on Thursday with its detailed coverage of the ABP News-CVoter exit polls in five states that went to assembly elections in November.
ABP News YouTube live channels saw great traction during the crucial hours of exit poll coverage on 30 November, staying on top of the charts throughout the evening. Similar performance was mapped across the digital platforms of ABP Network, including its websites, connected TV (CTV), and mobile apps.
Marking a significant milestone in digital news broadcasting, ABP News YouTube live channels achieved the second-highest concurrent viewership during peak exit poll hours (6 pm to 7 pm) on YouTube.
Over three lakh concurrent users engaged with ABP Network’s eight language websites between 6 pm and 9 pm, showcasing the network’s extensive reach across diverse linguistic audiences.
A notable 19 per cent increase in average time-spend on ABP LIVE website properties was observed on 30 November, compared to the last 30 days of the entire election coverage cycle.
ABP LIVE Apps recorded over 27 lakh screen views, with an average of 15.5 screen views per user, alongside a remarkable 1.7 lakh daily active users (DAUs) on the exit poll-day.
In a display of the viewers’ preference for real-time election updates by ABP, the ABP LIVE CTV apps noted a five-fold increase in concurrent viewers during the Exit Poll coverage, compared to regular days. DAUs recorded across CTV Android devices rose by 23 per cent, indicating the growing trend of consuming news on connected TV platforms.
ABP Network’s CTV channels amassed 15 million viewership minutes on November 30, with the average view duration per viewer increasing by 30 per cent to nine minutes during the peak exit poll coverage hours.
These remarkable numbers show ABP Network’s commitment to delivering high-quality, real-time news across platforms. The significant increase in viewer engagement across YouTube, websites, CTV, and mobile apps reflects how the network strives to meet the evolving needs of today’s digital-savvy audience.
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.
