MUMBAI: Prime time isn’t just Aaj Tak’s time, it’s the time they broke the mould and the leaderboard. India’s leading Hindi news channel, Aaj Tak, has retained its No. 1 position in Week 21 of the BARC ratings for 2025 (HSM | 15 plus | 24 Hrs | Gross AMA’000), clocking a Gross AMA of 1,06,202 and commanding a 13.3 per cent market share the highest among the 14 Hindi news channels tracked. Its closest competitor, News18 India, followed with 1,05,147 AMA and a 13.1 per cent share, showing just how close the news battle can get when the stakes are sky-high.
This win isn’t just statistical, it’s strategic. The channel’s decisive and sustained coverage of ‘Operation Sindoor’, a major national story that dominated headlines in May, proved to be a defining moment. Aaj Tak’s revamped prime time roster, featuring anchors surgically slotted into time bands with distinct formats, captured viewer loyalty and cemented the channel’s position across TV and digital platforms.
On 8 May, during the peak of Operation Sindoor’s coverage, 2 million concurrent viewers tuned in to Aaj Tak’s Youtube livestream, setting another benchmark and demonstrating that the channel’s dominance extends far beyond traditional broadcasting.
Weeks 18 and 19 had already seen Aaj Tak notch record engagement across rolled and unrolled BARC data. Now, with Week 21 locked in as a win, the message is loud and clear when breaking news breaks, India still turns to Aaj Tak.
With competitors close behind, Aaj Tak’s consistent edge in editorial innovation, digital integration, and anchor-led prime time might just be the secret sauce to its continued lead. For now, the scoreboard says it all and the ticker at Aaj Tak HQ probably reads: still number one.
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