News Genre peaked and accounted for 16% of TV Viewership during the three critical days (7th, 8th, 9th May 2025) as against the usual 6%
Mumbai: BARC India’s TV Viewership data during OPERATION SINDOOR shows that when it comes to a significant news event, that touches everybody’s lives, people turn to television to get their news and stay updated with the latest developments.
TV News Viewership for Week 18 (3rd to 9th May) during which OPERATION SINDOOR was carried out by the Armed Forces of India, scaled a new high, even as the Nation was transfixed by events that rapidly unfolded during OPERATION SINDOOR.
This is amply reflected in TV News viewership data:
1.Highest week for Hindi News in Week18’25 (OPERATION SINDOOR)
| YEAR’WEEK | EVENT | GRPs |
| 2025W18 | OPERATION SINDOOR | 254 |
| 2024W23 | LOK SABHA ELECTION RESULTS | 235 |
| 2022W10 | RESULTS OF MULTIPLE STATE ELECTIONS | 211 |
| 2024W4 | RAM TEMPLE CONSECRATION CEREMONY & REPUBLIC DAY | 185 |
| 2025W17 | PAHALGAM TERROR ATTACK | 178 |
HSM 2+/ Rat%(Sum) Note: Data considered is after Wk 10’ 2022 resumption with current set of channels
2.Hindi News also clocked the highest ATS of 60 mins, an increase of 67% over ATS of Pre Pahalgam weeks (HSM 2+).
3.Hindi News share increased from 3% to 13% during Week18 Wed-Fri (OPERATION SINDOOR) compared to Pre Pahalgam weeks. Hindi News share at 15+ HSM increased from 4% to 15%, in the same period, which is above the share it garnered during the surgical strikes in 2016.
4.Daily tune-ins increased on Hindi News on critical days (Wed-Fri):
– 73 Mn to 142 MN (HSM 2+)
5.Increase in viewership during MEA Briefs
| EVENT | TIME | VIEWERSHIP SPIKE (vs Pre Pahalgam weeks) |
| 1st BRIEFING | WED: 1036 to 1100 HRS | 509% |
| 2nd BRIEFING | THU: 1745 to 1825 HRS | 125% |
| 3rd BRIEFING | FRI: 1733 to 1755 HRS | 242% |
HSM 2+/ AMA
6.65 Mn New viewers (wrt to Wk12-15) tuned in to Hindi News. These New viewers had not sampled Hindi News in the last 1 month.
* Since data resumption in Week 10, 2022
** The above data is based on BARC India unrolled database.