Mumbai: Network18 emerged as India’s undisputed destination for election coverage on Counting Day, delivering sustained audience leadership across every genre and platform.
With over 2 million peak concurrent viewers on YouTube and 303.2 million total views across all brands and platforms on May 4, 2026, the network set a new benchmark for live digital news in India.
In the Hindi news genre, News18 India ranked No. 1 on both measures of live viewership — recording an average live concurrency of 631K (Source: Databeings, 7 AM–10 PM, May 4, 2026) and a peak concurrency of 1.2 million viewers, the highest of any Hindi news channel. (Source: Databeings, 9 PM, May 4, 2026)
In the English news segment, CNN-News18 maintained its leadership throughout the day, recording the highest average live concurrency of 134.9K (Source: Databeings, 7 AM–10 PM, May 4, 2026) and a peak concurrency of 318.6K. (Source: Databeings, 6:20 PM, May 4, 2026)
The network’s regional portfolio delivered equally strong results. News18 Bangla recorded a peak concurrency of 722.4K (Source: Databeings, 12:45 PM, May 4, 2026), outperforming all regional competitors. News18 Tamil reached a peak concurrency of 411K (Source: Databeings, 9:15 AM, May 4, 2026).
CNBC-TV18 and Moneycontrol reinforced the breadth of the Network18 ecosystem, recording peak concurrency levels of 181.9K and 132.2K, respectively, across business and financial news audiences. (Source: Databeings, May 4, 2026)
Across all brands and platforms, Network18 recorded 303.2 million views on May 4, 2026 — a figure that reflects a clear and settled audience verdict: Election = Network18.
The Counting Day performance builds on sustained momentum. In April 2026, Network18’s news network recorded 5.5+ billion YouTube views, the highest of any news network in India. (Source: Databeings, April 1–30, 2026)
Commenting on the latest feat, Pranav Bakshi, Chief Growth Officer, Network18 Connected, said, “May 4th was not just an election result day — it was a signal. India’s digital news audience is now enormous, deeply engaged, and reaching for live coverage at scale in ways that were unimaginable even three years ago. When over two million people are watching a single network simultaneously on YouTube, that is not a metric — that is a mandate. At Network18, we have been building toward this moment: an integrated ecosystem across Linear, CTV, YouTube, and Social that can hold the nation’s attention when it matters most. The numbers from this election cycle tell us that audiences trust us with their most important moments, and that responsibility shapes everything we do.”
The results underscore the strength of Network18’s integrated cross-platform model spanning Linear TV, CTV, YouTube, and Social. Powered by the News18 Live Result Hub, real-time constituency-level reporting, and expert studio analysis, the network delivered seamless, large-scale coverage — tracking every shift in sentiment and every turn in the count from the first trends to the final verdict.
On India’s most defining moments, audiences have consistently chosen Network18, affirming its standing as the country’s most trusted and most-watched news network.
-Based on Press Release
