Who Owns CNN-News18? Network18, Reliance Industries & CNN Licence (2026)

CNN-News18 is one of India’s leading English-language news television channels — a joint venture that carries the CNN brand in India through a licensing arrangement. Operated by Network18 Media & Investments (part of the Mukesh Ambani-controlled Reliance Industries ecosystem), CNN-News18 competes with NDTV 24×7 and Times Now in the English news segment.

Who Owns CNN-News18?

CNN-News18 is owned by Network18 Media & Investments Limited — India’s largest broadcast media company, which controls CNBC-TV18, News18 India, News18 regional channels, Colors TV, MTV India, and several OTT platforms. Network18 is controlled by Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) — led by Mukesh Ambani — which acquired a majority stake in Network18 through a series of transactions culminating in 2023 when RIL made an open offer and took full controlling interest. The “CNN” brand in CNN-News18 comes from a content licensing agreement with CNN International (a division of Warner Bros. Discovery) — Network18 pays royalties to use the CNN name and access some CNN content, but the channel is editorially and operationally Indian.

CNN-News18’s History

The channel was launched in 1995 as a joint venture between CNN and TV18 (then an independent media company). It was initially branded CNN+IBN (after IBN — India Broadcast Network). When Reliance took over Network18, the brand was rationalised to CNN-News18 in 2016. Today it is one of India’s three major English news channels alongside NDTV 24×7 (now part of the Adani group) and Times Now (Bennett Coleman / Times Group). CNN-News18 is distributed across cable, satellite (DTH), and digital platforms in India.