News Broadcasting
Level Up to boost online gaming in India
MUMBAI: India is fast catching on to the ‘online gaming’ fever that has swept other parts of the world. Level Up, which positions itself as India’s only publisher of online games is looking to give a further advance community-based gaming.
Level Up has announced tie-ups with over 1500 gaming cafes to promote community-based online gaming across the country. It also unveiled a communication campaign to create awareness about the social aspects of online gaming and grow the online gaming market.
Speaking about the popularity of online gaming Level-Up MD Venkat Mallik said, “The social aspect of online gaming is the reason for its popularity globally. Online games are virtual communities, where players can create an Avatar and make friends with other players from different parts of the country. The community spirit of these games keeps the excitement alive.”
As broadband penetration increases, a larger proportion of Indian youth are slipping into ‘virtual personalities’. This means making online friends in virtual worlds and looking towards online gaming as an avenue for entertainment.
Mallik adds, “In India, we see Internet-cafés transforming into gaming cafes. We have entered into partnerships with all leading Internet-cafe chains in the country. We are already witnessing a number of café owners looking towards gaming as a major revenue earner. Player meets at cafes are another critical element for extending the community experience outside the game.”
Level Up also is looking to educate its target users the youth about the experience that online game environments provide. Currently, the company is creating awareness about online gaming through its game Ragnarok Online. It is positioning the game as ‘The Other World’.
News Broadcasting
Network18 channels lead YouTube news viewership in March 2026
CNN-News18, News18 India and CNBC channels top categories with record views
MUMBAI: When the world hit refresh on breaking news, Network18’s channels were already streaming ahead. As geopolitical tensions and war-driven headlines fuelled a surge in global news consumption, the network’s digital playbook delivered big clocking record Youtube viewership across English, Hindi and business news categories in March 2026.
At the forefront was CNN-News18, which emerged as the clear leader in the English news segment with 130 million live and video-on-demand views. The channel edged past competitors such as Times of India (126.5 million), Times Now (101.1 million), India Today (88.2 million) and NDTV (77.5 million), according to Databeings data for March.
In the Hindi news arena, News18 India delivered a commanding performance, racking up a staggering 3,297 million views on YouTube. The channel comfortably outpaced NDTV India, which recorded 3,119 million views, underlining its deep reach and consistent engagement with mass audiences, as per Playboard data.
The network’s dominance wasn’t confined to general news. In the Hindi business segment, CNBC Awaaz topped the charts with 92 million views, narrowly ahead of Zee Business (90 million) and well ahead of ET Now Swadesh (57 million). Meanwhile, its English counterpart CNBC-TV18 posted a strong 58 million views, reinforcing the network’s cross-category strength.
The spike in viewership reflects a broader shift in audience behaviour, with viewers increasingly turning to digital platforms particularly Youtube for real-time updates and in-depth coverage during high-intensity news cycles. For Network18, the numbers signal more than just scale; they underline the effectiveness of a multi-platform strategy that blends speed, credibility and continuous coverage.
In a month where the news never paused, it seems viewers chose to stay tuned where the stream never stopped.
