News Broadcasting
BBC World leads international news channels during Indian elections
MUMBAI: BBC World was the most watched international news channel during India’s recent general elections, according to Tam Peoplemeter data.
During the four-week campaign, BBC World reached a total of 15 million viewers, three times the figure achieved by its nearest rival CNN. Each of BBC World’s viewers spent an average of 50 per cent longer tuned into the channels comprehensive and extended coverage of the poll, compared to those who were watching CNN, according to a press release.
The research also claims that about 1.5 million people in India watched BBC World’s election programming on 13 May, the day on which the results were announced. The channel also managed to attracted 94 per cent of the overall viewing to the two channels that day.
BBC World’s balanced perspective on the domestic and global implications of the nationwide poll resulted in a six per cent increase in reach, and a 20 per cent rise in the time spent watching the channel, among Sec group A. BBC World’s reach and viewing time came in ahead of CNN in all Secs across India, the release claims.
BBC World India research manager Dezma de Melo was quoted as saying, “These are fantastic results. The growth in viewership is a result of BBC World’s live reporting, regular hourly news updates and special analysis on programmes including Asia Today, Asia Business Report and Question Time India. The Indian news industry is highly competitive today and BBC World’s success is a reflection of our credibility and the demand from viewers in India for a global perspective.”
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.
