News Broadcasting
BBC Worldwide profits up 50 per cent
MUMBAI: BBC Worldwide the commercial arm of the BBC has published its Annual Review for 2004/05.
It has announced record profits of £55 million for 2004/05, a year on year increase of 50%. Sales increased by seven per cent to £706 million and cash flow to the BBC was up by £4 million to a new high of £145 million.
Following a strategic review and reorganisation, the company now operates six businesses: TV channels, TV sales, magazines, home e4ntertainment, Children’s products and new media. Both through its own operations, and via joint ventures, it seeks to drive commercial benefit from rights and content on behalf of the BBC.
The TV Sales business saw profits of £31.7 million. Sales were up from £167.7 million to £171 million. 40,000 programme hours were sold. Relationships with independent production companies continued to flourish and, following the new Terms of Trade, output deals with key independents were struck, including with Endemol UK and Hat Trick Productions.
During the year BBC Worldwide acquired the rights to distribute ITV-commissioned and Channel 4-commissioned programmes made by independent production companies for the first time. In the future the business aims to become the distributor of choice for UK programme producers
BBC Worldwide CEO John Smith said, “This has been a key year for BBC Worldwide and the company has delivered excellent results. We have completed a reorganisation, made some board changes, begun to develop a new strategy, and are now halfway towards the target of doubling profits over 24 months. The cash we returned to the BBC from both profits and direct investment into programming was also a record £145 million.
“The BBC’s review of commercial activities last year has ended, and we now have a clear understanding of our role, scope and objectives, and of BBC Worldwide’s relationship with the BBC. The contributions offered by a wide range of external contacts were very useful, and we have acted to address major concerns by, for example, selling the women’s magazine eve and stopping the trailing of magazines on BBC television.”
As far as BBC Magazines is concerned the company had announced a joint venture with Times of India’s magazine subsidiary. Thuis will enable BBC titles to be launched in India. Eight new international editions of BBC Top Gear were licensed, and future growth in overseas activities is expected. BBC magazines’ circulation went up by eight per cent.
BBC targetting Chinese channel: Meanwhile A executives from BBC Worldwide will visit China with plans for a television channel there. A repotr in The Guardian notes that the BBC has had a strained relationship with the Chinese authorities over its news reporting in the past. The corporation is also planning to launch a new children’s channel in the US.
The division is also looking to license its books and learning division. Possible partners include media and education group Pearson.
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.
