CNN-News18

What CNN-News18 does

CNN-News18 is an English-language news and current affairs television channel headquartered in Noida, Gautam Buddh Nagar, India. Founded in 2005, the channel operates under a joint-venture structure between CNN (Cable News Network LP, LLLP, a Time Warner company) which licenses its brand, and Network18 Media and Investments Ltd, the Indian media conglomerate that controls operations. The core product is a 24-hour English news television channel supported by a cross-platform digital presence including the news18.com website, mobile app, and YouTube streaming.

The offering spans multiple editorial categories — India, world affairs, business, markets, cricket, politics, movies/entertainment, tech, lifestyle, and elections — anchored by flagship primetime and daypart shows such as The Breakfast Club (morning), The Right Stand (evening primetime), and The Hard Facts (late night). Recent additions include the Health Matters weekend show (launched March 2026) targeting health misinformation and the Nippon India Mutual Fund Prime Time Studio (launched July 2026), a co-branded weekday primetime block. The channel also sits within a broader Network18 ecosystem of 15+ regional language news sites/channels and sister properties including Moneycontrol, CNBCTV18, Firstpost, MTV India, and History India, which enables cross-promotion and shared newsgathering.

The business model is dual: (1) television advertising on English news inventory, both spot and long-form, leveraging the channel's stated positioning as India's leading English news channel; and (2) branded content sponsorships structured as multi-year studio co-brand deals, exemplified by the Nippon India Mutual Fund partnership. Revenue flows to Network18 Media and Investments Ltd, the Indian parent; CNN-News18 itself is not publicly traded and does not disclose standalone revenue. Audience monetization is consumer-facing (free-to-air TV plus ad-supported digital), while customer monetization is advertiser-facing across national, international, and category-specific brand sponsors.

Name

CNN-News18

Legal name

Network18 Media and Investments Ltd

Website

https://news18.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2005

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

CNN-News18 is an India-based English-language 24-hour news television channel and digital platform, operated under license from CNN by Network18 Media and Investments Ltd, serving general-news and business audiences through TV broadcast, website, app, and YouTube streaming funded by advertising and branded content sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

News Broadcasting

NAICS

Television Broadcasting Stations (51612), Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Media Streaming Distribution Services, Social Networks, and Other Media Networks and Content Providers (5162)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833)

akta.pro primary industry

National Broadcast News Networks (MPABAAAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

24/7 National & International News Channels (MPABAIAA), Rolling News & Breaking News Channels (MPABAIAH), International News & Current Affairs Broadcasters (MPABAEAD)

Keywords

• English news broadcasting
• Television journalism
• Digital news media
• Live tv streaming
• Multimedia news content

Headquarters

HQ city

Delhi

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Advertising Revenue: CNN-News18 generates primary revenue through television advertising, leveraging its position as a leading English news channel in India to attract national and international advertisers.
2. Branded Content Sponsorships: The channel generates revenue through branded studio partnerships and sponsored programming, such as the Nippon India Mutual Fund Prime Time Studio, where corporate partners fund co-branded content.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

CNN-News18 is an English-language news television channel that broadcasts 24-hour news, current affairs, and primetime programming to Indian audiences via cable/DTH and digital platforms. It also operates the news18.com website and mobile app, providing breaking news, in-depth analysis, explainers, and live TV streaming across politics, world affairs, business, sports, entertainment, and lifestyle categories. The brand extends to a portfolio of flagship daily shows and a network of regional-language News18 channels.

Product overview

CNN-News18 is a major Indian English-language news media brand operated by Network18 Media and Investments Ltd under license from CNN. The offering operates as a multi-platform news organization combining a 24-hour television channel, a comprehensive news website and mobile application, and a portfolio of primetime shows including The Breakfast Club (morning), The Right Stand (evening primetime), and The Hard Facts (late night). The network has expanded into specialized content verticals including Studio 18 for entertainment and Explainers for in-depth analysis. Recent additions include the Health Matters weekend show (launched March 2026) and the Prime Time Studio in partnership with Nippon India Mutual Fund (launched July 2026). The brand also encompasses an extensive network of regional news channels across Indian states and languages.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• News18: Multi-language news network brand encompassing CNN-News18 and regional news channels across India

Products and services

• CNN-News18 Live TV 24-hour English-language news television channel broadcasting live news coverage, primetime shows, and special programming to viewers across India.
• News18 Website and Mobile App Primary digital platform providing breaking news, in-depth analysis, explainers, and live streaming across India, World, Business, Cricket, Movies, Politics, Tech, and Lifestyle categories.
• The Breakfast Club Morning news show airing Monday to Friday from 8 AM to 9 AM featuring current affairs coverage and discussions.
• The Right Stand Evening primetime news show airing Monday to Friday from 7 PM to 8 PM offering in-depth news analysis and debates.
• The Hard Facts Late-night news show airing Monday to Friday from 9 PM to 10 PM focusing on factual reporting and investigative journalism.
• Health Matters Weekend health and wellness show providing evidence-based health information to counter viral social media trends and misinformation, covering topics including heart attacks among people under 40, protein supplement risks, and weight-loss drugs. Aired on Saturdays and Sundays and streaming on YouTube.

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Nippon India Mutual FundflagshipGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2026CNN-News18 and Nippon India Mutual Fund launched a long-term Prime Time Studio partnership on July 1, 2026. The co-branded studio broadcasts live on weekdays from 5:55 PM to 9:55 PM and features flagship primetime shows anchored by prominent journalists including Shivani Gupta, Nabila Jamal, Anand Narasimhan, and Rahul Shivshankar. The partnership positions Nippon India Mutual Fund as a long-term branding partner on the news channel, aiming to engage viewers through credible financial information while promoting mutual fund investing.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Firstpost: Firstpost is a digital-first news platform also under Network18, complementing CNN-News18 with opinion-led digital journalism. It targets overlapping digital audiences and is comparable as a digital news distribution platform within the same corporate family.

Direct peers

• NDTV: NDTV is a leading Indian English news broadcaster with a strong digital presence, directly competing with CNN-News18 for premium news audiences and advertisers in India's English-language news segment.
• Times Now: Times Now is one of India's leading English-language news channels operated by The Times Group. It directly competes with CNN-News18 for English-speaking news viewers, advertisers, and primetime audiences, with a comparable 24-hour news broadcasting model.
• News9: News9 is an English news channel by ATS Group focusing on digital-first news delivery. It competes with CNN-News18 in the English news segment, particularly among digital-native audiences.
• India TV: India TV is a major Hindi news broadcaster by India TV Group with extensive reach. While Hindi-focused, it competes with CNN-News18 for advertising budgets and audience attention within the broader Indian news market.
• Republic World: Republic World is a fast-growing English news channel operated by Republic Media Network. It competes directly with CNN-News18 in English primetime news, debates, and digital news delivery targeting similar audiences.
• India Today: India Today is a flagship English news channel operated by the India Today Group, competing directly with CNN-News18 across news broadcasting, primetime debates, and digital news content in the same target audience.
• WION: WION (World Is One News) is Zee Media's international English news channel, offering a global perspective from India. It directly competes with CNN-News18 for English news audiences and positions similarly as an internationally-flavored English news brand.
• Mirror Now: Mirror Now is an English news channel operated by The Times Group focused on urban, city-centric news. It competes with CNN-News18 for English-speaking audiences, particularly in metropolitan markets.

Broad incumbents

• CNBC TV18: CNBC TV18 is a sister brand under Network18/Reliance focused on business and financial news. While serving a narrower business audience, it shares infrastructure, ownership, and overlaps in coverage of business and financial news with CNN-News18.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cnnibn
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/2233741

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about CNN-News18