News Broadcasting
B4U Movies targets end August for going pay
MUMBAI: B4U Movies, the stand alone channel that is going the pay way, aims to complete the seeding of set top boxes throughout the country by the end of the month.
The channel, which had earlier planned full encryption by end July, has started an encryption feed from 5 August. Chief distribution officer Debashish Dey says the STBs have just arrived and are being currently despatched to various parts of the country. The channel, says Dey, has received a very good response from the northern, western and eastern parts of the country. An estimated 5000 STBs are being distributed, he said. B4U is using the Smart-card from Nagravision as the encryption module and will switch off the analog feed from 30 August, he said.
B4U Movies will cost the subscriber Rs 8.90 per month. The channel is offering 15 per cent discount on its subscription rate to cable operators making advance payments or quarterly payments. The only channel that is going pay on its own without relying on a bouquet, B4U Music will also take the encryption route from December 2002, says Dey.
News Broadcasting
Network18 channels lead YouTube news viewership in March 2026
CNN-News18, News18 India and CNBC channels top categories with record views
MUMBAI: When the world hit refresh on breaking news, Network18’s channels were already streaming ahead. As geopolitical tensions and war-driven headlines fuelled a surge in global news consumption, the network’s digital playbook delivered big clocking record Youtube viewership across English, Hindi and business news categories in March 2026.
At the forefront was CNN-News18, which emerged as the clear leader in the English news segment with 130 million live and video-on-demand views. The channel edged past competitors such as Times of India (126.5 million), Times Now (101.1 million), India Today (88.2 million) and NDTV (77.5 million), according to Databeings data for March.
In the Hindi news arena, News18 India delivered a commanding performance, racking up a staggering 3,297 million views on YouTube. The channel comfortably outpaced NDTV India, which recorded 3,119 million views, underlining its deep reach and consistent engagement with mass audiences, as per Playboard data.
The network’s dominance wasn’t confined to general news. In the Hindi business segment, CNBC Awaaz topped the charts with 92 million views, narrowly ahead of Zee Business (90 million) and well ahead of ET Now Swadesh (57 million). Meanwhile, its English counterpart CNBC-TV18 posted a strong 58 million views, reinforcing the network’s cross-category strength.
The spike in viewership reflects a broader shift in audience behaviour, with viewers increasingly turning to digital platforms particularly Youtube for real-time updates and in-depth coverage during high-intensity news cycles. For Network18, the numbers signal more than just scale; they underline the effectiveness of a multi-platform strategy that blends speed, credibility and continuous coverage.
In a month where the news never paused, it seems viewers chose to stay tuned where the stream never stopped.
