News Broadcasting
NDTV Profit and NDTV 24X7 go the pay TV way
MUMBAI: NDTV, which launched the business channel NDTV Profit along with the 24-hour news channel NDTV 24X7 and NDTV India, has decided to go the pay way from 1 April with the first two channels.
The two NDTV pay channels form part of a new bouquet announced some time back by Sony-Discovery distribution joint venture, One Alliance. The new bouquet has been priced at Rs 38 and includes channels like Ten Sports, Nick, Discovery Travel & Living, and Animax. Hindi news channel NDTV India too is part of the bouquet, but will remain a free to air channel.
The pay route for two NDTV channels has been taken as the company feels that the two channels can keep attracting advertising revenue, apart from generating some subscription revenue too. An NDTV source said there are no immediate plans to take the Hindi news channel the pay way, adding that as per TAM data both Profit and NDTV 24×7 were occupying top slots in their respective genres.
NDTV also informed the Bombay Stock Exchange that Set Discovery Pvt Ltd has launched a package for distribution of channels. The company’s scrip closed the day on the BSE at RS 182.50 touched a high of RS 183 for the day, after opening at RS 180.
Meanwhile, some cable operators, whom Indiantelevision.com contacted in Delhi, said they were yet to be informed by One Alliance about the new bouquet and its pricing structure.
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.
