News Broadcasting
News18 Network captures highest YouTube views in second phase of elections
Mumbai: On the polling day (26 April) of the second phase of the Lok Sabha elections, News18 Network emerged as the most preferred choice of viewers with the highest viewership on YouTube.
According to the viewership data from Playboard, News18 India’s YouTube views reached 31.6 million on the polling day, surpassing key competitors.
With 14.2 million views, News18 Bangla was the most-watched Bengali news channel on YouTube.
News18 Punjab/Haryana/Himachal also amassed the highest viewership with 8.08 million video views on YouTube.
News18 Rajasthan captured 3 million views on YouTube, making it the most viewed news channel from the state on YouTube.
With over 2.6 million views on YouTube on the polling day, News18 Assam/NE surpassed all its competitors.
Talking about News18 Network’s exemplary performance on YouTube, Pranav Bakshi, Head of partnerships & Video strategy, Network 18 said, “Our exceptional viewership in key markets & languages during the polls is a reflection of our commitment to delivering high-quality programming and comprehensive election coverage from the ground zero. Our emphasis on localized content connects with viewers. The increased viewership has encouraged advertiser interest, as more brands recognize the power of reaching audiences across regions and languages, as we cover the elections in maximum languages & across India. Election= News18.”
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.
