News Broadcasting
WWE, news bulletins, Gamer TV ratings champs for Ten Sports
MUMBAI: While there may be a debate over whether a strong sports brand can be built without India cricket, one thing is clear. World Wrestling Entertainment (WWE) draws viewers even when India plays in a cricket tournament..
A case in point is last month’s cricket “mini-World Cup”, the Champions Trophy, held in the second half of September. TAM data provided for the period 18-25 September indicates that the edition of World Wrestling Entertainment’s (WWE) Raw, which aired on 20 September on Ten Sports, got a rating of 0.95 c&s 4+.
Among the metros, Mumbaiikars are the most hooked on to the “choreographed” wrestling that WWE represents. The Raw episode got a rating of 1.35 in Mumbai. The highest rated WWE show in Mumbai, however, was Smackdown (21 September) which managed a rating of 2.54.
Interestingly, even if wrestling is taken out of the equation, Ten Sports’ news bulletins still managed far higher ratings than what ESPN and Star Sports got combined. .
Sports Update on Ten Sports, which had an all-India rating of 0.63, outscored the combined rating of ESPN Star Sports’ top programmes, Football Focus and Sportsline, at 0.23.
As many as 37 shows on Ten Sports managed a rating of over 0.23 which was the maximum that ESS got. Cricket is said to be opium of the Indian masses. Yet the special Samsung Super Skills on Star Sports on 24 September was left gasping with a rating of 0.10.
Another startling finding is that on Ten Sports, after the wrestling programmes and news shows, the next highest rated programme was Gamer TV, which managed a decent rating of 0.22. Taking WWE and Gamer TV together, what this appears to indicate is that Ten Sports has caught on well with the younger audiences (teens and pre-teens).
Speaking of younger audiences, one wonders whether Ten Sports will in due course do an interactive initiative for the WWE similar to that which has been introduced recently in the US and Europe. Taboo Tuesday allows American and European WWE fans to vote online on what match ups they want to see at this special event. For instance, fans had to choose whether they wanted Triple H to defend his title against Edge, Shawn Michaels or Chris Benoit. Normally these kind of decisions are left to the discretion of the programming manager Eric Bischoff.
On the hockey front, meanwhile, Ten’s telecast of the match between India and Pakistan on 24 September got a rating of 0.18.
News Broadcasting
Kamlesh Singh receives Haldi Ghati Award from MMCF
India Today Group editor honoured for three decades of journalism at Udaipur ceremony.
MUMBAI- Kamlesh Singh just turned a lifetime of sharp words into a shiny shield because when journalism wakes up a society, even the Maharana of Mewar wants to pin a medal on it.
The Maharana of Mewar Charitable Foundation (MMCF) conferred its prestigious Haldi Ghati Award on Kamlesh Singh, a senior editor at the India Today Group, during a ceremony in Udaipur on 15 March 2026. The national award, instituted in 1981-82, recognises “work of permanent value that initiates an awakening in society through the medium of journalism.”
Singh, who leads several editorial initiatives including Aaj Tak Radio, the Teen Taal community and The Lallantop, was presented the honour by Lakshyaraj Singh Mewar, Managing Trustee of MMCF. The citation highlighted his three decades of contributions to Indian media, innovations in digital journalism, mentoring young reporters, and his popular podcast persona “Tau” on Teen Taal, which fosters thoughtful public discourse.
The Haldi Ghati Award, named after the historic Battle of Haldighati symbolising valour and resilience, is one of four national awards given annually by MMCF. Past recipients include Tavleen Singh, Piyush Pandey and Raj Chengappa.
Other honourees this year included Padma Vibhushan Pt Hari Prasad Chaurasia, Vedamurti Devvrat Rekhe, Treeman of India Marimuthu Yoganathan, Vir Chakra Capt Rizwan Malik, and US-based researcher Molly Emma Aitken, who received the Colonel James Tod Award for contributions to understanding Mewar’s spirit and values.
In an era where headlines often shout louder than substance, the MMCF quietly reminded everyone that real journalism isn’t about noise, it’s about the quiet, persistent work that stirs society awake, one thoughtful story at a time.
