News Broadcasting
ZEEL acquires balance 26% equity stake in Zee Network Distribution
MUMBAI: Zee Entertainment Enterprises Ltd (ZEEL) has acquired the balance 26 per cent equity stake in Zee Network Distribution Ltd. The company informed the Bombay Stock Exchange about the development in a letter.
“In this regard, we wish to inform you that, upon completion of all conditions precedent including inter alia change of name of the subsidiary after removing the word 'Turner' to Zee Network Distribution Ltd, the company has concluded the said acquisition and accordingly, Zee Network Distribution Ltd has now become a wholly-owned subsidiary on and from 9 August 2019,” the company said in it.
Zee Network Distribution Ltd was incorporated on 20 December 2001 as a joint venture entity between ZEEL and Turner International India Private Ltd (Turner) for engaging in the business of distribution of television channels of Zee Network and Turner Group.
“The channel distribution business in the recent past was shifted to various entities and is currently housed under the company directly since 2016 and consequently there have been no active operations of ZNDL since last few years, except for holding 50 per cent equity stake in Zee-Star distribution joint venture 'Media-pro Entertainment Private Ltd’ (Mediapro), which discontinued the distribution business in 2014,” the company stated.
“In view of this, the joint venture partners had mutually agreed to terminate the joint venture agreement with the acquisition of Turner's equity stake of 26 per cent (26,000 shares of Rs 10 each) in ZNDL by the company at par value aggregating to Rs 260,000/-, thereby making ZNDL a wholly-owned subsidiary of the company,” the letter added.
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.
