News Broadcasting
Programming revamp benefitted News18 India, says editorial head
MUMBAI: Hindi news channel News18 India, which undertook a revamp of its programming strategy few months back focusing on exclusive reports largely based on sting ops, has claimed that the plan is working as its ratings and viewership have increased.
Some of the sting operations carried by News18 India after programming reboot included ‘ Operation Namak Haram’ that exposed top Pakistani film actors and singers living in India and their alleged involvement in black money deals; ‘Surgical Strike Ka Saboot’ involved a police officer in PoK or Pakistan-occupied Kashmir who admitted that strikes were carried out by the Indian Army on September 29, 2016 and ‘Operation Kaali Kursi’ that exposed bank managers of private banks willing to aid an undercover reporter in converting almost Rs. 70 million of old currency notes into new ones after demonetization late last year.
Speaking to Indiantelevision.com, News18 India consulting editor Prabal Pratap Singh said, “The channel has grown exponentially since its re-launch. Several of our shows are consistently No. 1in their slots. This is a testimony to the content that we have been airing, which is in line with our channel’s philosophy of `Danke Ki Chot Par’.”
Singh said as the editorial head of the channel, his role is to help the team focus on issues that are relevant to India, especially those viewers who would be watching or tracking a Hindi news channel. “Focus on pertinent content and issues, relevant to our viewers, has ensured tremendous growth in our viewership,” he added.
According to BARC India data of weeks 15-18, News18 India had an average weekly impression of 3634 (in ‘000) with a 16 per cent market share in the HSM megacities in NCCS 15+, which placed the channel one spot behind the segment leader Zee News that had a market share of 17.5 per cent during the period under review.
News18 India is part of the Network18 group that is controlled by Mukesh Ambani-promoted Reliance Industries Ltd. Reliance acquired Network18 from its founder Raghav Bahl and his associates in 2014.
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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.
