News Broadcasting
NBC, Apple to sell shows online through iTunes
MUMBAI: NBC Universal has signed a deal with Apple Computer Inc. to bring its primetime, cable, late-night and classic TV shows on Apple’s iTunes online media store (www.itunes.com).
Customers can purchase and download their favorite shows, including current shows the day after they air on TV, and watch them on their computer or iPod. The new content is all available for $1.99 per episode or clip. The NBC Universal programs will be available in newly designated areas of the iTunes Music Store featuring the NBC Universal brands, including the NBC network, Sci-Fi Channel and the USA Network, states an official release.
“We are committed to helping viewers enjoy the wide breadth of our programs across an equally wide range of devices and distribution models,” said NBC Universal vice chairman and GE Bob Wright. “Apple has developed a distribution platform that is attractive to consumers while at the same time providing the safeguards against theft that are so important to us and to every content provider. We are pleased to partner with them in this new venture.”
NBC Universal programming now available on the iTunes Music Store spans from the 1950s to the present, including NBC’s Law & Order, The Office, Surface, The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, Late Night with Conan O’Brien, Monk and Sci-Fi Channel’s Battlestar Galactica as well as classic TV shows including Alfred Hitchcock Presents, Dragnet, Adam-12 and Knight Rider.
iTunes now offers more than 300 episodes of 16 popular TV shows for viewing on a computer or iPod. In October, Apple had entered a deal with ABC Network to sell episodes from five current programs through iTunes.
“We’re thrilled to expand the iTunes video catalog with 11 popular TV shows from NBC, USA Network and the Sci-Fi Channel,” said Apple CEO Steve Jobs . “In our first two months we’ve sold more than three million videos, and have expanded our TV catalog from five shows to 16 shows.”
NBC recently inked a deal to sell replays of its most popular shows on an on-demand basis through satellite TV provider DirecTV Group Inc. Then in November, it announced a collaboration with Sprint Nextel Corp. to make Leno’s monologue and comic sketches available on mobile phones.
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.
