News Broadcasting
CNN-IBN to turn pay, likely to be priced Rs 5
MUMBAI: CNN-IBN, the English general news channel from the TV18 stable, is turning pay and is tentatively priced at Rs 5.
Global Broadcast News (GBN), the company which owns and operates CNN-IBN, has entered into an MoU with Zee Turner Ltd. for distributing the channel. The MoU is valid till 31 March 2007.
“We have entered into an MoU with Zee Turner pursuant to which we will become a pay channel,” GBN said in its draft red herring prospectus filed with the Securities and Exchange Board of India (SEBI).
Though the price quoted in the MoU is Rs 5 a month per subscriber, this could change depending on the market situation. The channel may go pay in October, a source in the company says.
CNN-IBN will be distributed by Zee Turner as a stand-alone channel. “Zee Turner Ltd has agreed that it shall endeavour to collect the subscription charges from the subscribers on the basis of the agreement signed with them and remit the actual collected amount within 60 days of last day of collection to the company,” GBN said in its IPO (initial public offering) document. Zee Turner will be entitled to a fee of 20 per cent on the subscription charges on collection.
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.
