Over the years, the media industry has been in a state of constant flux. From the perspective of the user, news consumption and delivery patterns have shifted. As a result, news outlets have expanded across multiple platforms.
According to Comscore’s January 2023 report, India’s Total News Internet Audience is 440 million.
Some news outlets saw this as an opportunity to rethink their strategy and capitalize on this historic shift. India TV has seized this opportunity to become the country’s leader (number one) in providing Hindi news.
This has been affirmed by the latest BARC reports, which stated that India TV had the highest viewership regarding Northeast elections (Counting hours between 7 am – 1 pm).
Speaking about this feat, Rajat Sharma, chairman, of India TV, said, “there needs to be a realization that it is the user who is now shaping the demand for content. They have the freedom to decide how, when, and where to consume the content. Hence, news channels must focus on creating fluid strategies that focus on personalization and content customization.”
India TV clocked a gross average minute audience (AMA 000s) of 3,117 compared to its competitors. News 18 India, with a gross AMA 000s of 2,990 was second, Aaj Tak with an AMA 000s of 2,645 was a close third, followed by TV9 Bharatvarsh and Republic Bharat among 15+ HSM audience between 7 am to 1 pm.
Furthermore, India’s first ever RPD data of Airtel Xstream also reiterates the fact that India TV is the top Hindi news channel. According to RPD data, on a recent counting day, India TV led by 29.7 percent relative share, followed by Aaj Tak at 24.7 percent, R Bharat at 16.0 percent, ABP News at 15.6 percent, and Zee News 14.0 percent among top 5 SD Hindi News Channels.
Regarding numbers, Sharma said, “This is a validation of our strategy. Over the years, we have made a huge effort to redefine our content strategies i.e., take a data-driven approach towards analyzing viewership. I believe that the only constant in the media industry, moving forward, will be changed. Hence, as a response, news channels need to constantly reinvent themselves to stay relevant.”