Indian TV news, which accounts for nearly a third of television advertising volumes, is now at a crossroads as it heads into 2026.
According to the TAM AdEx Half Yearly Report (Jan–Jun 2025), general entertainment channels led TV ad volumes with a 31 percent share, followed by news at 28 percent, movies at 22 percent, music at 11 percent and kids’ programming at 4 percent. Together, these five genres accounted for over 95 percent of total TV advertising in both 2024 and 2025.
Yet beneath this headline share lies a more complex reality for news broadcasters grappling with advertiser fatigue, fragmented audiences and the pressure to reinvent business models without eroding credibility. The challenge is not about relevance or reach. Viewership for news has not vanished, particularly in regional markets and rural India where television remains a primary source of information. The stress point is monetisation. As digital platforms pull away younger audiences and brand budgets, TV news is now rethinking how it earns, not just how it broadcasts.
From spot ads to portfolios
For Ashish Sehgal, CEO of Times Network and Chief Growth Officer at Times Media and Entertainment, the future lies in moving decisively beyond dependence on spot advertising. He argues that the idea of a single dominant revenue stream is already outdated.
“A sustainable TV news revenue model has moved beyond just spot advertising to a portfolio approach – linear ads for scale, digital and CTV monetisation for incremental reach, events and experiences for high-margin revenue and selective subscriptions for niche, high-intent audiences,” Sehgal says. He adds that the objective is not to replace advertising, but to diversify risk and expand ARPU, anchored in owned IP and audience trust.
This portfolio thinking reflects a broader shift underway across the industry. As ad growth softens and rate pressures persist, broadcasters are being pushed to monetise depth, not just reach.
Non-linear becomes non-negotiable
What were once considered adjacent revenue experiments are now becoming core pillars. Events, branded IPs, digital extensions and content syndication are no longer side projects but central to future-proofing news businesses.
“These are no longer optional adjacencies but core pillars of future-proofing news revenues,” Sehgal says. Live and hybrid events, in particular, deliver higher-margin opportunities and deeper audience engagement than traditional TV spots. Brands, he notes, are increasingly paying for credibility, expertise and sustained association rather than fleeting impressions. In effect, non-linear assets and owned IPs are redefining news into scalable media franchises with long-term monetisable value.
This view is echoed across networks. Varun Kohli, CEO of Bharat Express, believes the entire narrative around TV news has shifted sharply over the past year.
“As we move towards 2026, expectations in TV news will be completely reset. If last year the base was 50, this year it has already moved to 60, and growth will now be measured on that higher base,” Kohli says. According to him, credibility will emerge as the single biggest issue going forward. In broadcast news, he notes, advertiser interest has clearly declined, and the challenge is how to bring advertisers back in a meaningful way, especially in a free-to-air ecosystem.
Kohli adds that every network will be forced to re-examine its business model with a sharper focus on cost control and efficiency. Diversification, he argues, will be central to survival. “News channels are no longer just about linear TV. Events, digital platforms, branded IPs and content-led initiatives are becoming core to the business model. Events, in particular, will see strong growth as branded content and IPs continue to rise, and advertisers are more willing to engage there,” he says.
Balancing TRPs and trust
One of the central point heading into 2026 is whether TV news can continue chasing high TRPs while simultaneously building subscription products, events and brand-funded formats without diluting editorial credibility.
Sehgal believes the balance is achievable, provided there are clear guardrails. Mass-appeal news and breaking coverage will continue to drive reach and ratings, while deeper analysis, explainers and expert-led formats can power subscriptions and branded monetisation. “Credibility is protected through transparency and strict disclosure, ensuring paid partnerships align with journalistic values and never influence news judgment,” he says, underlining the role of trusted anchors and analysts in sustaining long-term viewership.
Kohli, meanwhile, cautions that weaker channels could disappear if they fail to adapt. “Advertising growth itself is under pressure. AdEx is not growing the way it should, and that is a real concern. Expense control is no longer optional,” he says. At the same time, he stresses that audiences are still consuming news. “It’s not that viewership has disappeared. The platforms are changing,” Kohli adds, pointing to connected TVs as an emerging opportunity as measurement improves and scale becomes more visible.
For many broadcasters, the strategic dilemma heading into 2026 is whether to prioritise scale and reach or focus on depth-led monetisation. Sehgal rejects this as a false binary.
“The right bet for 2026 is scale to build influence and relevance, and depth to drive monetisation,” he says. While reach remains essential for advertiser relevance and brand authority, meaningful revenue growth will increasingly come from high-engagement products such as subscriptions, events, data-driven content and IPs. However, he is categorical that monetisation will never come at the cost of credibility.
Reinvention, not decline
Off the record, a senior industry executive offers a blunt assessment of the road ahead. The news business, the executive says, is undoubtedly getting tougher. The challenge lies in the industry’s inability to reinvent itself fast enough. While networks have experimented with events, concerts and multiple extensions, the executive notes that most players are chasing the same ideas without sufficient differentiation.
The picture that emerges is not of a shrinking medium, but of one in transition. India’s TV news industry remains vast, accounting for nearly 45 percent of the country’s roughly 900 private television channels, and continues to command a significant share of advertising spends. However, digital competition, shifting advertiser expectations and changing consumption habits are forcing broadcasters to confront hard questions about value creation.
As TV news looks ahead to 2026, the consensus is clear. Survival and growth will hinge not on chasing headline ratings alone, but on building diversified, credible and scalable businesses. Reinvention, not retreat, will define the next phase of Indian TV news.