News18 India’s prime-time programme ‘Desh Ki Pathshala’, anchored by Sushant Sinha, continued its strong digital performance on its second day, emerging as the leading Hindi news stream on YouTube, according to data shared by the channel.

Following its launch on June 16, the programme maintained its momentum on June 17, recording an average concurrency of 231,000 viewers across all feeds, significantly ahead of competitor Aaj Tak, which recorded 53,000 concurrent viewers. The show also registered a peak concurrency of 386,000 viewers at around 9.45pn, compared to Aaj Tak’s 65,000, according to Databeings data cited by News18 India.

On News18 India’s primary YouTube feed, ‘Desh Ki Pathshala’ recorded an average concurrency of 224,000 viewers, nearly five times higher than Aaj Tak’s 45,000. Peak concurrency on the primary feed touched 378,000 viewers, while Aaj Tak recorded a peak of 57,000 viewers.

The channel said the programme generated significant anticipation ahead of its launch and attributed the strong viewership to audience interest in explanatory journalism that goes beyond headlines. The show focuses on providing context, analysis and background to major developments, helping viewers understand the significance and implications of news events.

News18 India also highlighted Sinha’s connection with viewers and his distinctive presentation style as key factors behind the show’s early traction. Positioned as “the nation’s classroom”, Desh Ki Pathshala aims to simplify complex issues and present them in an accessible format.

The channel said the sustained viewership reflects a growing audience preference for news programming that not only informs but also explains and contextualises current affairs.

‘Desh Ki Pathshala’ airs daily at 8.50 pm on News18 India, Connected TV and YouTube.