iWorld
YouTube original ‘You V YouTube’ to launch on 9 October
Mumbai: Video sharing platform YouTube is set to stream its original show “You V YouTube” on 9 October. Produced by Fremantle, the quiz show will be hosted by Indian television presenter Gaurav Kapur.
The new episodes of the show will be released every weekend at 7 p.m. It has been shot completely in a virtual setting and will feature popular content creators who will turn quizmasters allowing viewers to play, learn and stand to win big. The quiz will cover a wide range of subjects from science, general knowledge, math, English, travel, food, and technology, said the statement.
“You V YouTube is a unique quiz show that not only brings together some of India’s best creators but also gives contestants a chance to both learn and earn, in a fun filled environment,” said Fremantle India managing director Aradhana Bhola. “The series has been filmed entirely virtually, with cast and contestants participating from the safety of their own homes during the pandemic; a feat that makes us proud. What’s even more gratifying is that whatever sum of money a contestant has won on the show has been matched in donation along with the proceeds of the live play (available to viewers during the premiere episode) to charities working for covid relief.”
The YouTube creators who will appear as guests on the show include Roshni Mukherjee (science), Gaurav Garg (general knowledge) Ganesh Pai (mathematics), Ceema Picardo (English), Arun Krishnamurthy (environment), Gaurav Chaudhary (Technology), Nidhi Mohan (health and wellness) Ranveer Brar (food), Reena D’Souza (sports), Sucharita Tyagi (movies and music), Rachana Ranade (finance) and Tanya Khanijow (travel).
The contestants are selected through an online audition process. On the show they must answer ten questions across ten different subjects, each asked by a different YouTube creator, for an opportunity to win over Rs 10 lakh.
“I am really excited about this new journey,” said host Gaurav Kapur. “Every day on this show is a learning experience for me. The energy of the contestants and the knowledge shared by the creators is enriching.”
MUMBAI: If cricket were a binge-worthy series, this one just dropped its most explosive pilot yet. The opening weekend of the 2026 edition of the Indian Premier League has come out swinging, smashing records across both television and digital platforms and reaffirming the tournament’s unmatched pull in India’s sporting and media landscape.
Backed by two high-octane matches featuring 200-plus run chases, the tournament delivered a combined reach of over 515 million viewers across linear TV and digital platforms via JioStar’s broadcast ecosystem, including Star Sports and JioHotstar. More tellingly, engagement surged alongside reach, with total watch-time hitting 32.6 billion minutes, a sharp 26 per cent jump over the opening weekend of the previous season.
The numbers reveal a deeper shift in how India watches cricket. Connected TV (CTV) consumption rose by 30 per cent, while peak concurrency on digital platforms jumped 61 per cent, signalling a growing appetite for shared, big-screen streaming experiences. On traditional television, the momentum held strong, with TV ratings (TVR) climbing 24 per cent compared to earlier seasons’ opening matches.
A key driver of this spike has been the evolution of the viewing experience itself. This season introduced differentiated feeds, most notably a Hindi CTV broadcast featuring cricketing voices such as Ravichandran Ashwin, Suresh Raina, Harbhajan Singh, Virender Sehwag and Irfan Pathan. Blending expert analysis with a watch-along format, the feed has added a conversational, almost second-screen feel without requiring viewers to leave their screens.
According to JioStar CEO for Sports Ishan Chatterjee, at the opening weekend underscores not just scale but also the depth of engagement that live cricket continues to command. He noted that the combination of large-screen viewing and digital interactivity is creating a more immersive and personalised experience, while also delivering tangible outcomes for brand partners.
From the league’s perspective, the early numbers point to a tournament that continues to reinvent itself. Arun Singh Dhumal, Chairman of the IPL, said the strong start reflects how high-quality cricket paired with enhanced viewing formats is resonating with audiences nationwide, while Board of Control for Cricket in India secretary Devajit Saikia highlighted the “quality of engagement” as a key takeaway, not just the scale.
Commercially too, the opening weekend signals robust advertiser confidence. The broadcast is led by co-presenting sponsors including Google (Search AI Mode), Campa Energy, and Havells & Lloyd, alongside co-powered partners such as Birla Opus, Hero Motocorp and Amazon. A long tail of associate sponsors from OpenAI and Asian Paints to Flipkart and Amul further reflects the league’s unmatched ability to aggregate advertiser interest at scale.
Taken together, the opening weekend numbers are less a spike and more a statement. With 515 million viewers, 32.6 billion minutes of watch-time, and double-digit growth across formats, IPL 2026 has not just started strong, it has set the tone for a season that looks poised to push the boundaries of both sport and spectacle.
