News Broadcasting
Zee strikes a sacred chord as Bhajan Club turns bhakti into a live beat
Zee Live’s new IP blends devotion and energy, launching ahead of Mahashivratri.
MUMBAI: What happens when devotion meets the drop? Zee Entertainment Enterprises Limited is betting the answer lies in rhythm, community and live energy with the launch of Bhajan Club, a new original spiritual entertainment IP from its experiential vertical Zee Live.
Positioned as a contemporary cultural property, Bhajan Club reimagines devotional music as a live-first, high-participation experience. Think bhajans with concert-style energy, curated sets, collective singing and clapping, and an atmosphere that feels celebratory while staying rooted in bhakti. The idea is simple but timely: make spiritual gatherings feel immersive, social and accessible, especially for younger audiences.
While the format is inclusive across age groups, the pull towards Gen Z is deliberate. Urban youth are increasingly gravitating towards experiences that are meaningful yet vibrant, and Bhajan Club taps into that shift by blending tradition with innovation, and community with technology. It reflects a wider cultural moment where devotion is being rediscovered in shared, music-led spaces rather than quiet corners.
The IP launches on 12 February, strategically timed ahead of Mahashivratri on 15 and 16 February. As part of the debut, audiences will chant “Om Namah Shivay” in collective celebration of the union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati. The experience will extend beyond the venue, with Bhajan Club set to stream on Zee5 and Zee Zest. The launch aims to engage over 350 live attendees on-ground and reach more than 4 million viewers across TV and OTT.
Headlining the opening edition is Keshavam, widely regarded as a pioneer of the bhajan clubbing movement. Known for their concert-like devotional performances, the band has built a following that cuts across traditional devotees and younger listeners by fusing spiritual music with modern soundscapes.
The timing is no coincidence. Over the past year, “bhajan clubbing” has gained traction in urban culture, with ticketed events and social media conversations framing it as a new-age way to experience devotion. The trend even found mention in Mann Ki Baat, where prime minister Narendra Modi referenced the phenomenon, signalling its growing cultural relevance.
Zee Entertainment Enterprises chief content officer Raghavendra Hunsur said the IP reflects how audiences are engaging with devotional content in newer ways. He described Bhajan Club as an experience-led, content-driven format that is easy to discover, participate in and return to, with availability across multiple consumer touchpoints.
Zee Live business head Gareth Eswin Thomas added that live entertainment is evolving rapidly, with formats that combine cultural identity and contemporary energy resonating strongly with younger audiences. Bhajan Club, he said, aims to bring people together through music and shared emotion, while keeping bhakti firmly at its core.
Going forward, Bhajan Club will roll out as a series of curated live experiences supported by strong digital amplification. Each edition will revolve around devotional themes, familiar bhajans and participative moments, while building a community layer that keeps the conversation going beyond event days.
With Bhajan Club, Zee is turning devotion into a shared rhythm, proving that in today’s cultural remix, faith too can find its beat.
News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI: Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
