News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak announces hike in Ad Rates
MUMBAI: Aaj Tak raises the bar on performance, and on monetisation! Come this September, 2018, the number one news channel for the last 17 years recalibrated its rates after indexing inventory and latest leadership performance across parameters.
In the latest few weeks Aajtak has seen tremendous upside with stories like Vajpayee ji’s demise, Kerala Floods, Independence Day among others setting the nations agenda. During the period of three days 15th to 17th August, the heightened news environment helped Aaj Tak cross even leading Hindi GECs channels like Star plus, Zee TV, Colors & Sony TV on Coverage . (Source: BARC, TG:15+,Mkt:HSM, TB:0200-2600 Hrs, Period: 15th Aug to 17th Aug’18,Cov’000s)
Aaj Tak has always enjoyed highest market share and viewership numbers in its category almost every week this year. In fact, it is the only channel with 25 crore monthly viewers in the news category.
(Source: BARC, TG:2+,Mkt:HSM,Period:W29’18-W32’18,Cov in Cr)
On market share in 15+ HSM, Latest 4 weeks Aaj tak has 45% Mkt Share Margin over no.2 Channel ( Source: BARC,TG:15+,Mkt: HSM,TB:0200-2600 Hrs, Period: 2018,4 weeks -21st July’18-17 Aug’18,Shr% Based on 12 channels)
Rahul Shaw, CRO , TV Today summarized,”Given its unchallenged viewership and unparalleled following, Aaj Tak is now strategically looking at lowering inventory and compensating it with a premium pricing. With leadership across hsm, all india, urban, rural, coverage and prime time and almost a quarter of news viewership with only one news channel on big news time bands, it is important that the leader helps the genre improve yields “
Group CEO , India Today Group, Vivek Khanna adds, “The most influential news brand of the country has been a role model for many to follow. Truth , integrity & unconventional methods of news reporting really leave no competition in sight. The no1 news channel is also India’s no.1 news Facebook page, is global no1 news channel on Youtube by subscribers, is no1 Hindi news website, no1 hindi news twitter handle and no.1 Hindi news app. To top it, it is not just India’s no1 news channel, it is India’s no1 TV channel on IRS—hence the campaign-“Aajtak ka muqabla koi no2 se nahi, sirf aajtak se hai”
Rahul Shaw adds, “With lower inventory levels, every ad on the channel will get better uncluttered visibility, a better ROI and hence more effective use of ad spends. There is a rollout plan for innovative ad options that will be global firsts. In keeping with the reputation, Aajtak will redefine the value news can unlock for viewers and advertisers “
Here are some records held by Aaj Tak
• India’s No. 1 Hindi news channel for past 17 years- the only news channel with more than 25 crore viewers monthly
· India’s No.1 TV Channel – Source: IRS 2017
• World’s No. 1 YouTube News Channel with 9 million subscribers (Source : Socialbakers)
• India’s No. 1 News Facebook Page with 21 million page likes (Source : Facebook)
• India’s No. 1 Hindi News Twitter Handle with 7 million followers (Source : Twitter)
• Aaj Tak has 2 times more viewership than the No. 2 Hindi News channel (Source- IRS 2017, Most Watched Television)
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.
