News Broadcasting
Pogo to entice Indian kids with Harry Potter this summer
MUMBAI: What better way to get pester power into action than show the ultimate kid’s cult classic – Harry Potter – on your channel.
Pogo, which has made a none-too-auspicious Indian debut (distribution problems what else) on New Year’s Day, is all set to premiere the mega blockbuster movie Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone on Indian television.
Harry Potter will air on Pogo just as Indian kids finish their exams and get into the holiday mood this summer. Now if that doesn’t get demand going nothing will.
Pogo acquired the India rights from Warner Brothers International Television Distribution. The management believes that this will help it further strengthen its programming line-up which includes award-winning shows such as Barney & Friends, Teletubbies Everywhere, Boohbah and Walking With franchise.
Says Turner Entertainment Networks Asia, Inc senior vice president and general manager Ian Diamond, “Acquiring the television rights for Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone exclusively for Pogo audiences is a proud moment for us at the channel. We are extremely excited about this and are positive that our young viewers and their families will feel the same. The movie is a global phenomenon and premiering the same for television is an indication and a strong affirmation of our commitment of bringing world-class and magical programming on Pogo.”
Pogo, distributed by Zee Turner, is broadcast via the PAS-10 satellite.
Meanwhile, the Turner Broadcasting Inc (TBS) management today announced that it has signed on conditional access technology provider Conax to provide with the necessary tech for Pogo in India. TBS will use the Conax CAS5 conditional access technology for broadcasting the new kids service as a direct to operator (DTO) operation to Indian cable networks.
Saya Conax AS COO and executive vice president Ole Hansvold, “Conax is very pleased to have teamed up with Turner Broadcasting. We are looking forward to working with Turner to facilitate the distribution of their Pogo channel to the Asian market.”
Added TBS International Inc executive vice president – Distribution Technology Alastair Hamilton, “Partnering with Conax makes sense. Their recent popularity in Asia, and the ease with which we could integrate a Conax encrypted channel into our existing multiplex made them our first choice. We’re excited to work with Conax and look forward to developing a strong business relationship.”
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.
