News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 leads election season with 50.3 per cent market share
Mumbai: As per the latest data released by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), CNN-News18 has once again emerged as the undisputed leader in the English news genre during the ongoing election season.
The channel’s market share surpassed an impressive 50.3%, a figure greater than the combined market share of all its competitors. (Source: BARC India | Market: 10L+ | Target Group: 15-30 ABC | Period: Week 18’24, (06:00 – 24:00 Hr) | Market Share % | Top 4 channels considered)
CNN-News18’s power-packed performance comes on the back of its special election programming, delivering the most accurate information, featuring top-tier news anchors such as Zakka Jacob, Anand Narasimhan, Rahul Shivshankar and Palki Sharma. The channel’s extensive network of reporters all over the country ensured comprehensive coverage of crucial election issues. CNN-News18’s presentation with engaging graphics and insightful explainers simplified complex trends and data, making it easily accessible for the audience.
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.
