News Broadcasting
Live Times expands reach, now available on DD Free Dish
MUMBAI: India’s first global multicast news hub, Live Times, has bolstered its distribution network by securing a coveted position on DD Free Dish Channel No. 100, alongside adding Waves OTT to its digital portfolio.
The strategic expansion follows Live Times’ already robust presence across major DTH platforms—Tata Play, Dish TV, and Airtel DTH—as well as on Jio TV, India’s largest digital platform.
With this latest move, Live Times has dramatically expanded its footprint to reach approximately 150 million households or 450 million individuals across socioeconomic categories A, B and C. This comprehensive coverage spanning the entire social spectrum underscores the network’s commitment to delivering “authentic and accurate” news to citizens across all demographic and economic backgrounds.
“Information is power, only when it is factually correct,” remarked Live Times founder Dilip Kumar Singh.”To ensure that our viewers and users are empowered with truth alone… Live Times on DD Free Dish is one of the key platforms to take the truth even to the nook and corners of the country.”
The addition of DD Free Dish—often referred to as India’s common man’s entertainment lifeline—serves to bridge the persistent information gap between metropolitan centres and rural communities. Singh added that the expansion represents “one step closer to democratising access to news and information.”
For advertisers seeking to connect with a diverse, pan-Indian audience, Live Times now offers unprecedented reach from urban hubs to remote villages through a platform that prides itself on authentic journalism with impact.
Viewers can access Live Times on DD Free Dish (Channel 100), Tata Play (Channel 539), DishTV (Channel 665), Airtel Digital TV (Channel 385), Jio TV (Channel 3069), and Sikka Cable TV (Channel 319).
The network, which operates from what it describes as “a state-of-the-art multicast hub”—purportedly the first of its kind in India—follows the ethos of “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” while leveraging partnerships with global technology companies and content providers to deliver its news service.
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.
