News Broadcasting
Subrata, not Sahara, logo for Indian team
NEW DELHI: Just as the Indian cricket team prepared for its departure to Colombo for the Champions Trophy, another of the vexed issues dogging the team was sorted out today. Subrata Roy’s Sahara India, the sponsor of the national squad will not be sporting its logo on the team’s flannels.
Instead, the sponsor name will be Subrata. Sahara was barred from appearing as the team logo following objections raised by global ICC sponsor South African Airways, as there was a conflict of interest between SAA and Sahara Airways was the contention.
At a press conference in Delhi today, Roy said that it was only in the national interest that he did not go ahead and sue over the issue as it would have jeapordised the team’s being able to play in the tournament.
LG INDIA NOT TO ADVERTISE ON SONY:
Meanwhile, another global sponsor LG India made it official today that it would not be advertising on Sony Entertainment Television India.
LG India, was the only global partner (the other two being Pepsi and Hero Honda) with direct business interests in India that failed to sign on with SET India over what it termed as unreasonably high ad rates. According to industry sources, at last count it had conveyed to Sony that it was willing to pay in the region of $ 3000 for a 30 second spot.
When it was finally confirmed on Monday that a full strength team would be winging its way to Colombo, it was thought that LG might be willing to reconsider its stance. However, this never happened and LG India marketing head Ganesh Mahalingam had this to say: “I have not signed on with Sony because the rates are to high. I will instead be increasing my exposure to (national broadcaster) Doordarshan instead and that will give me enough and adequate mileage.
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.
