News Broadcasting
Vivendi Universal announces Canal Plus, TPS tie-up
MUMBAI: The Paris-headquartered media and telecommunication company Vivendi Universal is buying Television Par Satellite (TPS). The company will also combine its broadcast business with its French pay-TV business Canal Plus to create a company valued at 7.5 billion euros (US$9 billion).
Vivendi will own 85 per cent of the new company, while TPS owners Societe Television Francaise 1 and M6-Metropole Television will own 9.9 per cent and 5.1 per cent, respectively, the companies said in a media release.
The aim of this industry alliance is to develop a rich and competitive pay-TV product with strong brand names, for the benefit of consumers. The new group would be a major player on the French broadcasting market. It would reinvigorate and broaden the French pay-TV market, offering its subscribers and future subscribers a significantly richer and improved product the release adds.
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.
