SRINAGAR: The Indian television news genre witnessed its highest weekly viewership in recent times during Operation Sindoor, with an unprecedented 507 million viewers tuning in between May 3 and 9, according to Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC) India data, The Financial Express reported.
The sharp surge in viewership coincided with India’s military operation conducted over three crucial days, May 7 to 9, in response to the Pahalgam terror attack. During this period, the news genre accounted for 16 per cent of total TV viewership, nearly tripling its usual 6 per cent share.
Hindi news emerged as the leading driver of this spike, recording 254 Gross Rating Points (GRPs)—the highest weekly performance since 2022, surpassing even the 2024 Lok Sabha election results (235 GRPs) and the Ram Temple consecration coverage (185 GRPs).
The average time spent (ATS) on Hindi news rose by 67 per cent, climbing to 60 minutes per viewer compared to the pre-Pahalgam average.
The surge in audience interest was especially prominent during the three operational days. Hindi news share jumped from 3 per cent to 13 per cent (HSM 2+ category) and from 4 per cent to 15 per cent among viewers aged 15 and above (HSM 15+), The Financial Express reported. These numbers exceeded viewership levels recorded during the 2016 surgical strikes.
Daily tune-ins nearly doubled, rising from 73 million to 142 million viewers between May 7 and 9.
Government press conferences during the operation drew massive viewership spikes:
Wednesday (May 7): Viewership up by 509 per cent (10:36–11:00 AM)
Thursday (May 8): Up by 125 per cent (5:45–6:25 PM)
Friday (May 9): Up by 242 per cent (5:33–5:55 PM)
These figures underscore the public’s reliance on real-time official updates during critical national events.
In a significant indicator of its expanding reach, 65 million viewers who had not engaged with Hindi news in the past month (Weeks 12–15) sampled the genre during Week 18.
