Aaj Tak crosses 100 mn viewers mark

As the channel goes free to air on DD Direct in Week 46 of BARC ratings, it takes convincing lead over number two channel

BestMediaInfo Bureau | Delhi | December 23, 2015

When Aaj Tak decided to go free to air from Week 46 of BARC ratings, it was perhaps aware and well prepared to cross another milestone after 15 years of its launch. Riding on DD Direct, the channel claimed to have broken all records by being the first and only news channel to reach over 100 million HSM viewers for 4 weeks in a row (Source: BARC Rating System, Mkt – HSM (U+R), TG - 4+ Yrs, NCCS All, Wk - 46-49' 15, Avg Weekly Coverage).

According to a press statement issued to the media, Aaj Tak has increased the gap between the other trailing news channels making it the viewer's clear choice. “The leadership of Aaj Tak as India's No.1 news channel is clear from the fact that Aaj Tak is 5.5 times of the English News genre in terms of coverage and 24 times in terms of viewership (Source: BARC Rating System, 5 English News Channels; 4+ Yrs, All India U+R, Wk 46-49'15)”, said the statement.

Ashish Bagga

Speaking on yet another milestone set by the channel, Ashish Bagga, Group CEO – India Today Group, said, “As the undisputed leader, Aaj Tak is not just the torchbearer of society but also of the News industry in India. The channel has always reached great heights and paved the way with its thought leadership initiatives and journalistic excellence. I congratulate the entire team at Aaj Tak for this milestone”.

In addition to Aaj Tak crossing the 100 million mark, the channel also claimed to have held the distinction of being the clear No. 1 channel across all important TGs during this period (Source: BARC Rating System, Mkt – HSM (U+R), Period: Wk 46 – 49' 15, Share%). “The channel has been a pioneer by leading with innovativeness and continuously setting new benchmarks, something that is yet to be replicated in the fiercely competitive Hindi News genre,” said the statement.

According to the press statement, Aaj Tak has also been rated high in IRS 2014 and TGI 2014 Wave 2 (alternative survey reports on media consumption). As per IRS 2014, Individuals, C&S Viewers, Aaj Tak is not just the No. 1 News Channel but is also the 6th most watched channel across genres. As per the report, Aaj Tak is over two times of the next news channels and has a reach of 55.6 Million.

“The trend for Aaj Tak is similar as per TGI India 2014, Wave 2 (SEC – AB viewers) which has ranked Aaj Tak as 72 % ahead of next two news channels put together. The finding further goes to place Aaj Tak as more than 6 times of the English News Genre,” said the statement.

Source: BARC; Market: HSM (U+R); TG: 4+ Yrs NCCS All; Period: Wk 46 - 49'15; Average weekly Coverage (data shared by the channel)

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