CNN-News18 dominates Bihar election coverage with record viewership

NEW DELHI: While Bihar was busy counting ballots, the rest of India was counting on CNN-News18. The news channel has turned its stunning Bihar election performance into a victory lap of its own, launching a bold front-page print campaign celebrating its dominance during one of the year’s most watched political events. And the numbers tell quite a story.

On 14 November, as the nation held its breath waiting for Bihar’s verdict, CNN-News18 captured an impressive 46.8 per cent market share during the critical counting hours between 7am and noon. To put that in perspective, the channel outperformed its three main rivals: Times Now, NDTV 24×7, and Republic TV – combined. The trio together managed just 44.2 per cent, trailing behind the solo leader.

It’s the kind of performance that makes competitors nervously check their own figures. Times Now and NDTV 24×7 each pulled 16.9 per cent, whilst Republic TV rounded out the rankings at 10.4 per cent. CNN-News18 essentially owned the day.

The channel wasted no time trumpeting its triumph with a clever print campaign headlined ‘When Bihar Was Counting Votes, India Was Counting on CNN-News18’. Confident? Absolutely. But when you’re pulling nearly half the viewership, perhaps you’ve earned the right.

What made viewers flock to CNN-News18 in such numbers? The channel deployed its heavyweight editorial team, including Zakka Jacob, Anand Narasimhan, Rahul Shivshankar, and Shivani Gupta, backed by an extensive ground reporting network across Bihar. The result was the kind of comprehensive, fast-paced coverage that keeps viewers glued during those nail-biting hours when every seat update matters.

Beyond just talking heads, CNN-News18 served up dynamic graphics, detailed explainers, and sharp data breakdowns that made complex electoral trends digestible for everyone, from political junkies to casual observers just wanting to know who won.

The Barc data, which tracked eight channels across India’s 15 plus age group with purchasing power, confirms what the print campaign celebrates: CNN-News18 has cemented itself as India’s go-to destination when elections roll around.

For a channel that promises ‘fast, factual, and first’ information, delivering on that pledge during high-stakes counting hours is where reputations are built or broken. On 14 November, CNN-News18 didn’t just deliver – it dominated, proving once again that when India wants to know what’s happening, they know exactly where to look.

The Bihar results may be history now, but CNN-News18’s commanding performance has set quite the benchmark for future election coverage. One thing’s certain, the competition will be watching those numbers closely, wondering how to close a gap that currently looks rather unbridgeable.

(Source: Barc India | Market: India | TG: 15+ AB | Period: Week 45’25 | Market Share % | 14 Nov, 07:00–12:00 hrs | 8 channels considered.)