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DD News’ prime-time programme ‘Decode with Sudhir Chaudhary’ has completed 200 episodes, marking a significant milestone for the national broadcaster’s digital journey. The show, which airs in the 9 PM slot, has emerged as a major driver of viewership and subscriber growth on the channel’s YouTube platform since its launch.
According to a press release, the show achieved the milestone on February 19, 2026. From its inception on May 15, 2025, to February 18, 2026, Decode garnered nearly 512 million views on YouTube, accounting for about 74.1 per cent of DD News’ total views during this period. During the same timeframe, the channel added around 1.6 million new subscribers, of which nearly 1.2 million — about 75 per cent — were attributed to the show.
In just nine months, ‘Decode’ has positioned itself as a key component of DD News’ digital strategy. The programme is designed for co-viewing and aims to deliver information and analysis that appeals to audiences across age groups. Its performance is being seen as a strong indicator of the evolving digital reach of public broadcasting.
When the show was launched, it was widely viewed as a bold experiment for a state-owned channel entering a highly competitive prime-time space dominated by private networks. Questions were raised about its relevance in the digital era and whether audiences would embrace the format. The viewership and subscriber data gathered over the past nine months now serve as a response to those initial doubts.
The show’s success has been attributed to a combination of strategy, personality and timing. Anchor Sudhir Chaudhary brings decades of newsroom experience and a strong viewer base, while the programme follows a digital-first approach. Episodes are specifically designed for YouTube with engaging thumbnails and direct headlines, and the format evolves continuously based on audience feedback.
The programme has also revitalised DD News’ 9 pm to 10 pm slot, featuring conversations with personalities from politics, art and cinema. Guests on the show have included K. Ram Mohan Naidu, Bhupender Yadav, Rekha Gupta, Rani Mukerji, Rakesh Bedi and Shammi Narang, enhancing its visibility and credibility.
Audience interaction remains a central focus, with the introduction of ‘Decode ki Daak’, a segment that has received thousands of handwritten letters from viewers in India and abroad — an achievement seen as notable in an increasingly digital media environment.
The programme’s reach extends beyond domestic audiences, with its style of Hindi analysis gaining appreciation among the Indian diaspora in the Gulf countries, North America and Europe. This growing global viewership reflects the continued demand for credible Hindi journalism in the digital age.
For DD News, the success of ‘Decode’ represents a significant shift in its approach to content delivery, while for Sudhir Chaudhary it marks a new phase in his journalistic journey. The completion of 200 episodes underscores how consistency, credibility and audience trust can help even a decades-old public broadcaster strengthen its presence in the evolving digital media landscape.
