News Broadcasting
India Today Group launches a new vertical ‘India Today Originals’
Mumbai : India Today group has launched ‘India Today originals’, a content hub producing original non-fiction series & features for streaming and audio platforms.
The vertical begins with the trailer release of its first production, Indian Predator- Diary of a Serial Killer, which will be available on Netflix on 7 September.
This year, India today originals will include two true crime-documentary series, Indian Predator- Diary of a Serial Killer on Netflix and Dancing on the Grave on Amazon prime video.
With the group’s content pool sourced from decades of reporting experience, India Today is already in a strong position to enter the original content space.
India today group vice chairperson Kalli Purie said, “When I watch good documentary content on streaming platforms, it is clear to me that this was a very logical step for us. We tell the best stories of India day in & day out at breaking news speed, so why not produce the best stories in a more expansive format with more details for streaming as well? “
She further added, “The advantages of having ‘India Today Originals’ as a production partner is you get a unique combination- storytellers from the ground who have seen the story unfold first hand coupled with those who know how to tell a long form story in a grand and dramatic format.”
India Today’s business head originals & special projects Chandni Ahlawat Dabas will lead the vertical, drawing on her extensive experience in ad filmmaking, documentary production, feature film production, fiction TV, and news TV to make business and creative decisions for the new SBU’s elevated and original content.
Speaking about the new venture, Chandni added, “The launch of India today originals is a matter of personal & professional pride for me. We have quietly been setting up the SBU for the last two years and look forward to giving viewers the best glocal content in the documentary space this year. This is an exciting start and the next year will be focussed on expansion.”
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.
