News Broadcasting
Lewis-Klitschko fight delivers knockout ratings for HBO in US
MUMBAI: What is it about men (and women) pummeling each other to pulp that draws viewers? In India, one constant on Ten Sports’ top rated shows are World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) programmes. In the US, premium movies network HBO drew its highest audience figures for a heavyweight fight in over six years from last weekends boxing match-up between WBC heavyweight champion Lennox Lewis and Ukrainian Vitali Klitschko.
The fight, staged in Los Angeles on June 21, was watched in over 4.6 million homes, HBO’s best rating since George Foreman fought Shannon Briggs in Atlantic City in 1997, sportcal.com has reported.
Of course, the numbers are also because of the fact that unlike most big heavyweight fights, the match-up was not sold as a pay-per-view event. It is in PPV that the serious money is but that had to be given the go-by since the fight was scheduled at too short a notice to successfully promote and sell it.
Lewis previous fight against former champion Mike Tyson, grossed over $103 million in US PPV sales, earning $3 million more than the previous pay-per-view record. But if viewership numbers are taken, it drew 2.8 million fewer homes than the fight against Klitschko.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to host Kolkata Town Hall on Hooghly River
‘Bhalobasa Bengal Inspiring Bharat’ event on April 20 brings cultural icons, trailblazing women and leaders aboard a cruise to celebrate Bengal’s enduring influence.
MUMBAI: Bengal is about to make fresh waves on the Hooghly and this time the current is pure conversation. CNN-News18 is taking its iconic Town Hall format to the waters of the iconic Hooghly River on 20 April 2026 with a special edition titled ‘Bhalobasa Bengal – Inspiring Bharat’. The floating event will celebrate the state’s rich cultural legacy and how its ideas, creativity and spirit continue to shape the rest of the country.
The unique riverside setting draws on Bengal’s history as a cradle of reform, art and intellectual thought. The speaker line-up mirrors that diversity: cultural heavyweights Mithun Chakraborty and Sreenanda Shankar will share the stage with trailblazing “Devis” such as Tanya Sanyal (India’s first woman firefighter in aviation), Ipsita Chakraborty (Kolkata’s first woman bartender) and Reshma Nilofer Visalakshi (Nari Shakti awardee and marine pilot). Music will flow through the celebrated pianist-vocalist duo Sourendro and Soumyojit, while public life and governance will be represented by Smriti Irani, Leander Paes, Saira Shah Halim, Keya Ghosh, Rekha Patra, Roopa Ganguly and Babul Supriyo.
CNN-News18, editorial affairs director, Rahul Shivshankar, said the event honours voices that carry Bengal’s legacy forward. Smriti Mehra, CEO – English & Business News, Network18, added that Bengal’s stories resonate far beyond its borders, especially as the state heads into polls.
From the first woman to battle flames in the skies to legendary actors who shaped Indian cinema, the gathering promises a rich mix of inspiration, courage and candid dialogue. In a city where culture has always flowed as freely as the river itself, CNN-News18 is turning the Hooghly into a floating forum for ideas that matter.
Tune in on 20 April on CNN-News18, CTV and YouTube to catch Bengal’s heartbeat in full flow.
