News Broadcasting
Madras HC restrains BCCI from awarding telecast rights till 17 February
NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The Madras High Court today passed an injunction restraining the Indian cricket board from awarding television telecast rights to any broadcaster or party till the next date of hearing on 17 February.
The court’s observations came on a petition filed yesterday by Zee Telefilms contending that cancellation of the bidding process by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) amounted to breach of its fundamental rights under Article 226 of the Indian Constitution.
The court’s observations today also means that the BCCI would find it hard to negotiate with any broadcaster, including Indian pubcaster Doordarshan, on the rights for the upcoming India-Pakistan cricket home series beginning early March.
Along with the Zee petition, ESPN Star Sports too moved an application some time back in the Supreme Court seeking legal protection against BCCI awarding cricket rights to anybody else without considering ESS’ bid too.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court had dismissed Zee’s petition but suggested that a lower court could take up such cases under Article 226.
Zee’s scrip reacted positively to the court’s verdict today, moving up by two per cent to Rs 154.75 at the time of filing this report.
In case the Madras high court case drags, the board could revisit an earlier proposal it had been considering, which envisaged producing the cricket matches itself, buying time on a channel for telecast like producers of sponsored serials on Doordarshan do and then market the commerical time itself.
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.
