Aaj Tak emerged as the clear leader in viewership during the Counting Week, Day, and Hours, according to the latest data released by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) on Thursday.
According to a press release by Aaj Tak, in week 23 of 2024 (Target Group: HSM markets, 15+, NCCS All), Aaj Tak topped the Hindi news genre with a commanding relative share of 14.5 percent. Following Aaj Tak, News18 India secured the second position with a relative share of 12.6 percent, and India TV came in third with 12.2 percent. TV9 Bharatvarsh and Republic Bharat rounded out the top five with relative shares of 11 percent and 9.8 percent, respectively.
The rest of the top ten included Times Now Navbharat at 9.2 percent, News24 at 7.4 percent, ABP News at 6 percent, Zee News at 5.6 percent, and News Nation at 4.2 percent.
On the crucial Counting Day, June 4 (Target Group: HSM markets, 15+, NCCS All), Aaj Tak extended its lead with a relative share of 16.6 percent. News18 India maintained the second spot with 13.2 percent, while India TV secured the third position with 11.6 percent. TV9 Bharatvarsh held onto the fourth position with 10.6 percent, and Republic Bharat was fifth with 8.5 percent.
News24 and Times Now Navbharat followed closely, recording relative shares of 7.8 percent and 7.7 percent, respectively. ABP News, Zee News, Good News Today, and News Nation completed the top ten list with shares of 6.9 percent, 5.9 percent, 4 percent, and 3.8 percent.
During the peak counting hours from 8:00 am to 12 noon on June 4, Aaj Tak continued its dominance with a relative share of 17.6 percent. News18 India was second with 13.8 percent, and India TV third with 10.3 percent. TV9 Bharatvarsh secured the fourth position with 10 percent, and ABP News rose to fifth with 8.1 percent.
Republic Bharat and News24 were in sixth and seventh positions with relative shares of 7.7 percent each. Times Now Navbharat and Zee News followed closely with shares of 7.4 percent and 6.8 percent, respectively.
The comprehensive viewership data highlights Aaj Tak’s significant lead in the Hindi news genre during the critical election period, reinforcing its position as the go-to channel for election coverage.