News Broadcasting
Fox launches on demand service in the US
MUMBAI: US broadcaster Fox has launched FOX on Demand. This aims to bring full episodes of Fox primetime television series from the new fall season to millions of fans on an ad-supported basis through MySpace.com and the MyFoxLocal web sites, in 24 owned and operated markets in the US.
In an industry first, Fox Interactive Media is leveraging both national and local online distribution channels to sustain enthusiasm for fall primetime programming while the network broadcasts Major League Baseball play-offs and the World Series games.
Consumers can access previously-aired episodes from Fox’s shows like Bones, Prison Break and Standoff. Additional episodes of these and other Fox shows will be made available throughout October and November.
On-air promotions during Major League Baseball broadcasts will push viewers to the sites to catch up on their favourite Fox shows through Fox on Demand.
Fox president of entertainment Peter Liguori says, “We are fortunate to have partners like Fox Interactive Media and our Fox Stations Group making our entertainment programming available to viewers, while we turn over much of prime time to Fox Sports and post-season baseball.
“MySpace provides tremendous exposure to our key demos and our O&O’s speak to local viewers and loyal fans of FOX in a very targeted way.”
The launch of ad-supported streaming of FOX programming will support several strategic objectives, including building audiences during breaks in regular programming by utilizing an alternative distribution channel; demonstrating the value of online promotions to stations and advertisers; and allowing parallel entertainment offerings to grow audiences simultaneously.
Fox Entertainment Group president, digital media Peter Levinsohn says, “Offering free access to Fox programming online during the MLB primetime take-over demonstrates the tremendous value that may be realized through a smart digital distribution strategy for premium content.”
“The FIM network of sites and particularly MySpace, combined with our local television sites, provide the optimal platform for maintaining momentum with our existing audience and also attracting new viewers.”
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.
