Hindi television news viewership during Operation Sindoor, the Indian Armed Forces’ strikes on terrorist sites in Pakistan and Pakistan-occupied Kashmir, has eclipsed the audience numbers recorded during the 2016 surgical strikes, according to the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC).
The surge reflects heightened public interest in the military operation launched on May 7, 2025, in retaliation to the April 22 Pahalgam terror attack that claimed 26 civilian lives.
BARC data reveals that the Hindi news share in Hindi-speaking markets (HSM, 15+ audience) soared to 15% during the week of Operation Sindoor (May 3–9), up from 4% before the Pahalgam attack.
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This marks a significant leap over the viewership share during the 2016 surgical strikes, when Indian forces targeted terrorist sites in Balakot following the Uri attack. The news genre’s overall share peaked at 16% of total TV viewership during the critical days of May 7–9, nearly triple its usual 6%.
The week of Operation Sindoor saw 507 million viewers tune into news channels, the highest weekly figure since BARC resumed weekly data collection in 2022. Hindi news channels recorded an unprecedented 254 gross rating points (GRPs), surpassing the 235 GRPs during the 2024 Lok Sabha election results and 211 GRPs during the 2022 state election verdicts.
The average time spent (ATS) watching Hindi news surged by 67% to 60 minutes, with daily tune-ins nearly doubling from 73 million to 142 million on May 7–9.
Viewership spikes were particularly notable during three official briefings by the Indian Armed Forces, underscoring public demand for real-time updates.
Remarkably, 65 million viewers—previously unengaged with Hindi news in the prior month—tuned in during this period, highlighting the event’s broad impact.
However, the viewership boom has sparked concerns about the quality of reportage, with debates over the accuracy of reports and sensationalized presentation styles during Operation Sindoor. Despite these critiques, BARC’s data affirms television’s enduring role as a trusted news source during national crises, cementing Hindi news channels as a dominant force in shaping public discourse.
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