iWorld
GoNews becomes NBA India’s first digital member
NEW DELHI: One of India’s youngest digital news channel GoNews has become the first digital member of News Broadcasters Association (NBA) of India, which has been under pressure in recent times with organization members accusing each of alleged malpractices and a new news channel boss dubbing it a “toothless” body.
In an official statement, Pankaj Pachauri-founded Cloudburst Mediaworks Pvt. Ltd., owners of GoNews, said the NBA board at its meeting held on 9 May 2017 considered its application and granted it associate member status with effect from 18 May 2017.
GoNews, an app-based news channel, was officially launched in April 2017. True to its adage of providing news on the go, the inauguration too was live-streamed to over 20,000 smart phone users who had downloaded the app on their smart phones, besides scores of followers on social media.
According to Pachauri, creation of app-based news channel was done on purpose so as to disseminate basic information and hard facts to viewers having no or little access to satellite TV.
A former TV news journalist who had also done a stint as former PM Manmohan Singh’s media advisor, Pachauri said research and data convinced him that satellite TV news was losing its viewership as well as sheen because it had become “highly opinionated” and was increasingly becoming “hostage to advertising”.
Meanwhile, not all TV news channels in India are members of NBA, but with GoNews’ addition membership strength has gone up to 24 companies with 63 channels. Most NBA India members are also part of a bigger industry organization called the Indian Broadcasting Foundation (IBF).
NBA was formed some years back after the news channels said their interest was not properly being highlighted by the IBF on various forums. NBA represents the private television news and current affairs broadcasters and is an organization funded entirely by its members. Co-founder of a new news channel, Republic TV, Arnab Goswami recently described the organization as a “cabal” and “toothless” body when asked the reason for NBA India last week opposing release of Republic’s debut-week audience measurement data.
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iWorld
JioStar revenue hits Rs 9,784 crore as cricket fuels 22 per cent growth
A surge in digital viewership and sports dominance fuels a blockbuster quarter for the media giant
MUMBAI: JioStar is batting on a flat pitch. The media titan’s fourth-quarter results for the financial year 2026 reveal a business scaling new heights, propelled by an unprecedented appetite for premium sports and digital-first storytelling.
Gross revenue for the quarter soared by 22.15 per cent to Rs 9,784 crore, up from Rs 8,010 crore in the third quarter. Operationally, the momentum was equally strong; revenue from operations climbed 21 per cent to Rs 8,372 crore. These figures underscore the firm’s successful integration following the Reliance and Disney merger, creating a dominant force in the Indian market.
The annual performance has been nothing short of a spectacle. Full-year gross revenue reached a massive Rs 36,248 crore, while annual profit after tax hit Rs 3,210 crore. This rapid expansion reflects JioStar’s ability to capture and monetise the massive growth in India’s media consumption.
Cricket proved to be the ultimate growth engine. The ICC Men’s T20 World Cup 2026 and TATA IPL 2026 delivered “record-breaking viewership” across both television and digital screens. The World Cup final alone drew a global peak concurrency of 72.5 million on JioHotstar, cementing its status as the nation’s premier streaming destination. On television, JioStar maintained a commanding 34.2 per cent viewership share, reaching a staggering 810 million viewers nationwide.
The digital numbers were just as impressive. JioHotstar averaged 500 million monthly active users, driven by consistent subscriber growth and innovative AI-led content discovery tools. These advancements are ensuring that JioStar remains at the cutting edge of the global “Race for Attention.”
With a firm grip on the country’s most valuable sporting rights and a rapidly growing digital footprint, JioStar is perfectly positioned for the future. It has built the ultimate content powerhouse—one that is ready to dominate the Indian living room for years to come.
