CNBC Awaaz leads on Budget Day among 22-40 male viewers in HSM Urban: BARC

New Delhi: CNBC Awaaz led Hindi business news viewership during Union Budget Day coverage among men aged 22–40 in HSM Urban, according to BARC data cited in a network statement.

During Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s Budget speech window on February 1, 2026 (11:00 AM to 12:30 PM), CNBC Awaaz recorded a 63 per cent market share, ahead of Zee Business at 37 per cent, as per the BARC cut for HSM Urban and TG: 22–40 M.

The network said the lead extended across the full Budget Day cycle on February 1, 2026, with CNBC Awaaz posting a 61.3 per cent market share, compared with 38.7 per cent for Zee Business, in the same cohort and market.

Through Week 05’26, CNBC Awaaz also reported a 76.4 per cent market share in HSM 10L+, while Zee Business stood at 23.6 per cent, according to the BARC data cited in the statement.

On digital, CNBC Awaaz cited Databeings data to claim it led live stream viewership during the Budget speech window, reporting a peak concurrency of 765.1K between 11:00 AM and 12:40 PM on Budget Day. The statement said this was 3.5 times Zee Business’ viewership in the same window.

Budget Day is typically one of the highest-engagement periods for business news, with audiences tracking policy announcements and market reactions through the day.