News Broadcasting
Thailand moves to improve pay TV piracy
MUMBAI: The Thai government has outlined a ten point plan to improve the pay TV piracy environment within Thailand, including commitments by cable ops to respect the Intellectual Property Rights of pay TV networks, both local and international.
Thailand is currently on the United States’ Intellectual Property Rights USTR 301 Watch List. The Thai authorities’ clamp down on pay TV piracy comes at a time when Thailand is formally entering Free Trade Agreement talks with the US early this summer. Among the US’ negotiating objectives are strengthened measures in Thailand that provide for the compensation of rights holders for the infringement of IPR and to provide for criminal penalties under Thai law sufficient to have a deterrent effect on piracy.
The Cable and Satellite Broadcasting Association of Asia, which has welcomed the Thai authorities’ move, estimates there were US$370 million in gross losses to pay-TV piracy within Thailand in 2003. Casbaa and its member companies also conservatively estimate that there are in excess of one million unauthorised subscribers to pay-TV services in Thailand. It is estimated that Baht 1.5 billion (US$38.5 million) was lost to the Royal Thai Government in 2003 from foregone tax revenues such as pay-TV licensing fees, corporate taxes and VAT.
Casbaa is encouraging the Thai authorities to place the control of pay-TV piracy under the responsibility of a single government department, or an individual senior government official, which can act as a clearing house for this increasingly serious issue. Says Casbaa CEO Simon Twiston Davies, “We applaud the concept of a focused official monitoring body and the requirement for detailed accountability on the number of subscribers. But what we now need is a genuine commitment to enforce this new regime. The new guidelines for pay-TV service providers must be introduced quickly and they must be adhered to.”
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.
