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CNBC Awaaz strengthened its leadership in the Hindi business news segment with a dominant performance during the Union Budget 2026 coverage on February 1, emerging as the preferred destination for investors and market watchers tracking key policy announcements.
According to a press release from the business news channel, it delivered strong viewership numbers across television and digital platforms, reinforcing its position during one of the most closely followed events in India’s financial calendar. The data highlights clear audience preference for CNBC Awaaz’s comprehensive coverage of Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman’s ninth Budget speech and subsequent market analysis.
Quoting BARC India data, the press release said CNBC Awaaz captured a commanding 63 percent market share during the live telecast of the Budget speech on February 1, 2026, significantly outperforming Zee Business, which recorded a 37 percent share. (Source: BARC | Market: HSM Urban | TG: 22–40 M | Period: 1st Feb 2026, 11:00–12:30).
The channel’s leadership extended across the full Budget Day as well, securing a 61.3 percent market share, compared to Zee Business at 38.7 percent, underlining its dominance during the high-stakes news event. (Source: BARC | Market: HSM Urban | TG: 22–40 M | Period: 1st Feb 2026).
The momentum continued through Budget Week, with CNBC Awaaz maintaining a strong lead by registering a 76.4 percebnt market share, while Zee Business recorded 23.6 percent, less than half of its rival’s share. (Source: BARC | Market: HSM 10L+ | TG: 22–40 M | Period: Week 05’26). The figures indicate sustained viewer preference for the channel beyond the immediate Budget announcements.
On the digital front too, CNBC Awaaz recorded robust engagement. During the peak live window between 11 am and 12.40 pm on Budget Day, the channel emerged among the world’s top-viewed live news streams, registering a peak concurrency of 765.1K and recording 3.5 times the viewership of Zee Business, as per data from Databeings.
The performance highlights the channel’s expanding cross-platform reach and growing digital presence.
