iWorld
Budget buzz goes viral as Network18 dominates Union Budget Day streams
MUMBAI: When the Budget dropped, so did the competition. As India tuned in for Union Budget Day 2026, Network18’s digital newsrooms turned into the country’s busiest viewing hubs, clocking some of the highest live-stream audiences across business and general news.
Across its platforms CNBC-Awaaz, CNBC-TV18, News18 India and CNN-News18 Network18 featured among the most-watched news streams during the Union Budget presentation, reinforcing its dominance during high-stakes national moments.
The real action unfolded during the peak live window between 11.00 am and 12.40 pm. CNBC-Awaaz surged ahead with a peak digital concurrency of 765.1K viewers, emerging as the clear market leader. News18 India followed with 667.1K, while CNBC-TV18 recorded a strong 581.3K. CNN-News18 added further heft with 362.0K concurrent viewers.
The gap widened sharply when compared with rival broadcasters. Zee Business peaked at 211.5K, Aaj Tak at 153.1K, and NDTV Profit at 137.3K, according to Databeings.
In relative terms, the lead was even more striking. News18 India delivered 4.3 times higher concurrency than Aaj Tak. CNBC-AWAAZ clocked 3.5 times the viewership of Zee Business, while CNBC-TV18 posted 4.24 times the concurrency of NDTV Profit. CNN-News18, meanwhile, drew nearly five times the audience of India Today, underlining its pull during major news events.
The performance reflects Network18’s strength in combining sharp real-time reporting with expert-led analysis and audience-friendly explainers, a formula that continues to resonate when news matters most.
With seamless integration across television, digital and social platforms, Network18 once again proved that on Budget Day, it doesn’t just follow the numbers, it leads them.
iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
