News Broadcasting
Ditto TV partners with Turner International India
Ditto TV, India’s first OTT (Over-The-Top) TV distribution platform from Zee New Media, the digital arm of Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited (Zeel), further strengthened its content offering, by partnering with Turner International India adding three of their globally renowned channels – CNN International, Cartoon Network and Pogo to its bouquet.
Ditto TV subscribers will have access to top news stories across the globe via a live feed of CNN International. CNN International’s coverage of news and current affairs will be available via news packages and programs such as Amanpour, Fareed Zakaria GPS and International Desk. Subscribers will also be able to get the latest updates and current trends in global economy, travel, environment, arts and entertainment in the expert voices of CNN anchors and special correspondents including Richard Quest, Philippe Cousteau and Anthony Bourdain.
Ditto TV launches its kids’ genre with the addition of India’s leading kids’ channels, Cartoon Network and Pogo. Cartoon Network comes with a global legacy of being kids’ favourite cartoon channel and Pogo is currently the reigning kids’ channel in India. The looped feeds of Cartoon Network featuring hit series such as Ben 10, Dexter’s Laboratory, The Powerpuff Girls, Johnny Bravo, etc. and Pogo featuring popular shows such as M.A.D., F.A.Q., CIA, etc., will treat Ditto TV subscribers to an exciting blend of the best of international and local shows.
Speaking about the partnership, Ditto TV business head Manoj Padmanabhan said, “Our focus is to offer consumers access to the largest collection of premium content, spread across diverse genres, along with rich on-demand video capabilities. Kids’ programming is a growing genre, and Turner India enjoys a lion’s share of the market. There is an ever- growing appetite for international news amongst Indian consumers and live feed from CNN International will provide consumers instant access to the latest on the digital device of their choice. This partnership will further accentuate the experience of seamless video viewing and we are confident that our customers will enjoy the variety that it brings to the Ditto TV offering.”
Since its inception in February 2012, Ditto TV has already partnered for content with Multi Screen Media (Sony Entertainment Television), TV Today Network, BBC, ZEE, BIG CBS Love and BIG CBS Prime. Today, Ditto TV offers 60 channels across leading genres and rich on-demand video content.
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: 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.
