News Broadcasting
Canal+ hails move to introduce CAS in India
Interactivity in TV viewing will see the light of day in India with the proposed introduction of Conditional Access Systems (CAS), says Canal+ Technologies general manager sales-Asia/Pacific Nicolas Andrieu.
CAS, says Andrieu, will be the key to the concept of pay TV, hitherto unknown in India. “The role of CAS in the pay-TV segment is going to be monumental as it alone can ensure that everyone, from the Broadcasters to MSOs and viewers, all benefit. CAS would ensure that the broadcasters’ rights to their content are not violated; that the MSOs get their fair share of revenues from the subscribers; and last, but not the least, the viewers pay only for what they watch and not for what is being fed to them indiscriminately according to the whims and fancies of the cable operators”, he says in a statement.
The imminent introduction of CAS definitely augurs well for Canal +, a global leader in providing Conditional Access systems Mediaguard to over 30 digital operators and broadcasters. It is also a leading international provider of digital and interactive TV software solutions with more than 13.1 million set-top boxes powered by its software. It is one of the founding members and a very active participant of the Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) consortium and has been implementing DVB CAS solutions since 1996. WINfirst in the US, CANALSATELLITE in France, Astro Measat and Zee TV are some of Canal+’s clients worldwide.
Says Andrieu, “The Indian viewers are no longer shackled to the old conventional TV viewing. They can now, exercise their freedom of choice, the essence of any open economy.”
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.
