News Broadcasting
FremantleMedia strikes deals with German broadcasters
CANNES: The distribution arm of global production company FremantleMedia, Fremantle International Distribution (FID), unveiled at MipTV a diverse range of programme sales to German broadcasters. It was announced by FID managing director David Ellender.
Ellender said:”We are very pleased to announce this latest raft of sales in Germany. The diversity of our programming translates into broad appeal for the different networks and Veronika Gracher has worked closely with the German broadcasters to ensure that FID can meet their needs. These latest deals are testament to the enduring strength of our factual and drama catalogues.”
The sales, brokered be FID VP Sales German Speaking Europe & Eastern Europe Veronika Gracher, include the acquisition of Munich: The Real Assassins (1 x 1 hour) by Discovery Europe (German-speaking Europe).
This documentary looks back at the events of September 1972, when, at the Munich Olympics before the eyes of millions of television viewers, 11 Israeli athletes were murdered by Black September, a radical group within the PLO. It features testimonies never heard before from Mossad agents who carried out Israel’s bloody revenge to reveal the true story behind the most incredible government-sponsored mission in the history of the War on Terror.
In a further agreement, History of Football: The Beautiful Game (13 x 1 hour) will be broadcast on Germany’s History Channel to coincide with World Cup fever. Narrated by Terrance Stamp, this series tells the definitive story of the game that generates more excitement, passion and wealth across the world than any other sport.
Other German deals will see crime drama Homicide (55 x 1 hour) will air on AXN, while Sex In The Bush: Australian Animal Attraction (2 x 1 hour) will be seen on Arte (Germany / France). This series combines stunning footage with amazing and sometimes shocking stories from passionate wildlife experts on the subject of courtship and reproduction among the animal kingdom in Australia – where the truth really is stranger than fiction.
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.
