News Broadcasting
GoQuest Media inks deal with SBS to air spy thriller ‘Traitor’
Mumbai: Global independent content distributor GoQuest Media has signed a deal with Australian broadcaster SBS for the award-winning series Traitor, produced by multi-service provider Elisa Estonia and Estonian public broadcaster ERR.
With this deal, SBS has acquired the exclusive AVOD rights for the gripping thriller directed by Ergo Kuld and written by prize-winning playwright and screenwriter Martin Algus (best screenwriter award at Estonian Film and Television Awards 2019). The series stars Tambet Tuisk (The Little Comrade, O2, Zero Point, The Poll Diaries). The actor is also the Best Actor Award winner for Traitor at the Estonian Film and Television Awards 2020 (EFTA)
Inspired by recent spy scandals in Estonia, Traitor'(6 x 58’) is a captivating thriller that begins in 2004, just before Estonia joined NATO and became a top target for Russian intelligence. Greed and the need for recognition leads new recruit Alfred Vint (Tambet Tuisk) to cooperate with Russian intelligence, leading to a thrilling cat-and-mouse game with determined young Estonian counterintelligence officer Marko Arrak (Veiko Porkanen) as they navigate the challenges faced in their personal lives.
Commenting on the deal, GoQuest Media VP of sales and acquisition Jimmy George said, “Traitor makes an important statement on what it means to put oneself before the well-being of others. Alfred Vint needs money and recognition, and he gets both from the Russians. But somewhere, the thin line between ambition and greed disappears, and he finds himself in a situation he can’t walk away from. The story fits perfectly with the unique programming style of SBS. Rats, another series from our catalogue was introduced to Australian audiences by SBS last year, and we are excited to see how this thrilling espionage drama will be received.”
SBS On Demand & World Movies channel manager, Haidee Ireland said, “Estonia is emerging as a new territory in the premium drama space, and we are so excited to bring this thrilling Estonian series to Australian audiences as part of our offering of the world’s best dramas on SBS On Demand.”
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.
