News channels in India hold a modest 7% share of the total television audience in 2024, up 13% from 6% in 2023, driven by event-driven spikes like “Operation Sindoor” (13% in HSM). Hindi news leads with 35% of the genre’s viewership, followed by regional languages (64%) and English (1%). Despite 936 active channels, fragmentation and declining ad volumes (down 12%) limit growth, with revenues trailing the broader media sector’s 7.2% expansion. Top players like News18 India (20% share) and Aaj Tak dominate, but entertainment’s 75-81% grip overshadows news’ influence.
Newswriters Editorial Desk
India’s media landscape is a vibrant tapestry of tradition and transformation, where television remains a cornerstone of information dissemination, while digital platforms like YouTube are reshaping consumption patterns. With over 900 million internet users and a television universe reaching 753 million weekly viewers in 2024, the country boasts one of the world’s largest audiences for both linear TV and online video. News, as a genre, plays a pivotal role in shaping public discourse, especially in a democracy as diverse and dynamic as India.
However, its share within the total television audience—encompassing traditional broadcast and emerging connected TV (CTV) experiences—has remained modest, hovering around 7% in recent years. This analysis delves into the current state of news channels’ audience share on traditional TV, the explosive growth of YouTube as a news delivery vehicle, comparative trends, and future implications. Drawing from BARC India data and EY-FICCI reports, we explore how news is navigating a shift from living rooms to smartphones.
The Traditional TV Arena: A Stable but Modest Share for News
Television in India continues to command immense scale, with 190 million screens and 205.8 million connections in 2024, translating to 1,530 billion average minute audience (AMA) impressions weekly. Despite the digital surge, linear TV retains 81% of its viewership from audiences under 50, with an average daily viewing time of 3 hours and 42 minutes.
The genre-wise breakdown reveals a clear hierarchy: entertainment, including general entertainment channels (GEC) and movies, dominates with 75-81% of the pie, driven by escapism and family-oriented content. Sports garners about 3%, buoyed by events like the IPL (525 million viewers in 2024), while infotainment and music fill niche slots at 4% and 11%, respectively.
Within this ecosystem, news channels command a relatively small but resilient 7% share of total TV viewership in 2024, up 13% year-on-year from approximately 6% in 2023. This growth reflects heightened public interest amid political upheavals, economic shifts, and global events. Hindi news, comprising 35% of the genre’s audience, leads with regional languages at 64% and English at a mere 1%. The Hindi Speaking Market (HSM) alone accounts for significant traction, where news AMA reached 3.789 million weekly.
“Over 70% of Indians rely on online media for news, with YouTube leading as 55% of news consumers use it weekly, outpacing WhatsApp (46%) and Instagram (37%), according to the 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report. Social video platforms drive 49% of news preference, blending trusted legacy outlets like NDTV and Aaj Tak with influential creators like Dhruv Rathee, whose 28 million subscribers fuel viral engagement”
BARC data underscores the genre’s event-driven spikes. For instance, during “Operation Sindoor” in May 2025—a high-profile national security operation—Hindi news share surged from 3% to 13% among HSM 2+ viewers, drawing 507 million unique viewers across the week. Such peaks highlight news’ role as a real-time unifier, but baseline figures reveal structural challenges. With 936 active channels (40% news-focused), the genre suffers from fragmentation and advertiser caution, contributing to a 12% dip in TV ad volumes in 2024. Revenues for TV news are projected to grow modestly at over 10% annually through 2025, but this lags behind the overall media sector’s 7.2% expansion to INR 2.7 trillion.
Top performers illustrate the competitive landscape. In Hindi news, News18 India leads with consistent BARC ratings, capturing over 20% market share among peers, followed closely by Aaj Tak (16.2% in 2023 metrics, sustaining high AMA into 2025) and India TV (13.8% share). English news sees CNN-News18 dominating at 35.7%, outpacing Times Now and NDTV 24×7.
Regional channels like Republic Bharat (19.4% among Hindi peers) and Zee News (15.7%) thrive on localized narratives, but overall, no news channel cracks BARC’s top 10 all-India list, dominated by GEC giants like STAR Maa and Sun TV. This underscores news’ peripheral status: vital for credibility but overshadowed by entertainment’s mass appeal.
YouTube’s Disruption: Amplifying News Reach Beyond Linear Constraints
As traditional TV grapples with cord-cutting—Pay TV homes fell to 111 million in 2024—YouTube has emerged as a juggernaut, boasting 476 million weekly reach in India, nearly matching TV’s 753 million. With 509 million users and 503 billion monthly views, the platform commands 92% of online video consumption, generating $8.66 billion in ad revenue in 2024. Music videos lead at 55.4% of views, followed by comedy and viral content at 44.1%, but news is carving a substantial niche, particularly among younger demographics.
A staggering 55% of online news consumers in India turn to YouTube weekly, surpassing WhatsApp (46%) and Instagram (37%), per the 2025 Reuters Institute Digital News Report. This equates to over 70% of Indians relying on online media for news, with social video platforms like YouTube driving 49% of that preference. Attention metrics reveal a blend of traditional and influencer-driven sources: legacy outlets like NDTV and Aaj Tak retain trust, while creators like Dhruv Rathee (28 million subscribers) command viral engagement during elections. User-generated and short-form news clips—often under 60 seconds—account for a growing slice, with 52% of social video viewers favoring live or interactive formats.
Quantifying news’ exact viewership share on YouTube remains elusive due to algorithmic opacity, but estimates suggest 10-15% of total views, bolstered by 38% of OTT revenue flowing to the platform in FY 2024-25. Top news channels amplify this: Aaj Tak leads with millions of daily views, followed by Zee News, ABP News, and Republic Bharat, each boasting 10-20 million subscribers. During peak events, like the 2024 elections, collaborative YouTube streams by indie outlets (e.g., The Wire, Scroll.in) filled mainstream gaps, garnering millions of concurrent views. CTV integration further blurs lines, with 30 million weekly active YouTube sets in 2024, up from 23 million in 2023, enabling news binges on larger screens.
Comparative Dynamics and Future Trajectories
Contrasting TV and YouTube, news on linear platforms offers depth and immediacy but suffers from a capped 7% share and declining ad spends (TV revenues down 4.5% in 2024). YouTube, conversely, democratizes access—reaching 63% rural users via mobile—and fosters interactivity, with live streams growing 128% since 2019. Yet, challenges persist: misinformation risks on YouTube (cited by 40% of users) versus TV’s regulated credibility. Hybrid models are emerging, with channels like TV9 Bharatvarsh simulcasting on YouTube, capturing cross-platform audiences.
Looking ahead to 2025-2030, digital media will eclipse TV, projected at 31% of the M&E market by FY26. News shares may stabilize at 7-8% on TV amid CTV growth (76 million sets by 2030), but explode on YouTube, potentially hitting 20% with AI personalization and short-form dominance. Regulatory pushes, like BARC’s weekly unrolled ratings from June 2025, will enhance transparency. For broadcasters, success lies in convergence: leveraging YouTube for youth engagement while retaining TV’s mass trust.
Despite commanding only a 7% share of India’s television audience in 2024, news channels wield outsized influence in shaping political discourse due to their ability to amplify narratives and drive public sentiment. In a democracy of 1.4 billion, where elections and policy debates hinge on information access, news channels serve as real-time conduits for political messaging, agenda-setting, and mobilizing opinion.
High-profile events, like the 2024 general elections or “Operation Sindoor,” saw Hindi news channels surge to 13% audience share in key markets, drawing 507 million viewers in a single week. This event-driven engagement, coupled with the credibility of regulated broadcasters like News18 India and Aaj Tak, ensures that even a fragmented viewership translates into significant political impact, as narratives reach urban elites, rural voters, and policymakers alike through debates, breaking news, and viral clips shared across platforms like WhatsApp.
“News channels shape political identities and polarize discourse, with regional channels (64% of viewership) amplifying local issues and leaders, while Hindi and English outlets craft national narratives. Despite YouTube’s rise (55% of online news consumers engage weekly), TV news retains trust among older audiences, driving accountability through investigative journalism and live coverage. With 936 active channels, the competitive landscape fuels sensationalism but ensures diverse viewpoints, making news channels key in swaying voters and holding power accountabl”
The influence of news channels extends beyond viewership metrics through their role in framing political identities and polarizing discourse, particularly in a linguistically diverse nation. Regional channels (64% of news viewership) tailor content to local concerns, amplifying regional leaders and issues, while Hindi and English outlets shape national narratives. Despite competition from YouTube, where 55% of online news consumers engage weekly, TV news retains trust among older demographics and drives political accountability through investigative journalism and live coverage.
With 936 active channels, the genre’s hyper-competitive landscape fuels sensationalism but also ensures diverse viewpoints, making news channels pivotal in swaying voter perceptions and holding power to account, even with a modest audience share.1.8sFastHow can Grok help?
Conclusion
Despite their modest 7% share of India’s television audience in 2024, news channels remain pivotal in shaping the nation’s political discourse, wielding influence far beyond their viewership numbers. Their ability to frame narratives, amplify regional and national issues, and drive public sentiment during critical events like elections or “Operation Sindoor” underscores their role as catalysts in India’s vibrant democracy.
Meanwhile, YouTube’s rise, capturing 10-15% of video views and 55% of online news consumers, signals a shift toward digital platforms, particularly among younger audiences. As India approaches 900 million internet users by 2025, the convergence of TV and digital platforms will amplify news channels’ political impact, blending traditional credibility with YouTube’s interactive reach. To thrive, broadcasters must embrace this dual-screen era, leveraging innovation to maintain trust and relevance in shaping India’s political future.
