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Viewers chose bTV on election night

Nearly half a million viewers among the general audience watched election night on bTV, and video reports on btvnovinite.bg received over 3.2 million views

20 Април 2026

bTV’s central election studio, “Elections 2026: Bulgaria Decides,” hosted by Svetoslav Ivanov, Zlatimir Yochev, and Tsvetanka Rizova, captured the attention of the general television audience in Bulgaria during prime time on April 19. Between 5:30 p.m. and 12:25 a.m., 26.1% of viewers (GARB, All4+) chose to follow election night on bTV - 6.1% more than the second-ranked television station. With a 360-degree studio, augmented reality, and integrated artificial intelligence solutions, as well as the participation of leading analysts and a student audience, the network offered modern, dynamic, and in-depth coverage of election night. The special edition combined real-time analysis, exclusive data, and interactive visualizations, giving viewers a comprehensive picture of the election results and the initial political reactions.

On April 19, bTV provided more than 17 hours of election coverage on television, digital platforms, and social media. The events were covered live in the special studios of “This Saturday and Sunday” with Mityo Marinov and Vanina Nedkova, COOLt with Petya Dikova, and “Why? It Depends on Us” with Zheni Marcheva. Special editions of “News” with Victoria Petrova and Yuksel Kadriev, Liliyana Boyanova and Ivan Georgiev, Polina Mechkueva and Rosen Tsvetkov, tracked the progress of the vote throughout the day, with the help of bTV reporters and correspondents in Bulgaria and abroad (the U.S., France, the U.K., Turkey, Greece, and Germany). Social media activity was analyzed and presented by Kristina Gazieva.

“bTV’s coverage of the election process in Bulgaria demonstrates how modern television can be fast, reliable, and engaging - across all platforms. This is the standard we follow throughout the CME Group, and we congratulate all our colleagues in the newsroom,” said Vladimir Muzik, Head of “News & Current Affairs Strategy” at CME.

“This result is a recognition of the tremendous effort of our entire team, which has been working for more than two months to provide viewers with timely and reliable information. bTV has once again demonstrated its ability to provide high-quality election coverage on-air, in the digital environment, and on social media,” said Asen Ivanov, Director of News, Current Affairs, and Sports at bTV.

The special editions of COOLt and “Why? It’s Up to Us” also captured viewers’ interest during the day in the 2:15 - 5:30 p.m. time slot. The two election studios hosted by Petya Dikova and Zheni Marcheva attracted the attention of 18.1% of the audience (GARB, 25 - 34), which is 38.2% more than the next-ranked television station. With a diverse range of guests from political and social life, as well as from show business, the programs offered a different and engaging perspective on election day.

bTV’s results are also impressive in the digital sphere and attest to the efforts of all the media outlet’s web teams. The website btvnovinite.bg, with its special election section and round-the-clock reporting, saw more than a twofold increase in both the number of visitors and page and video views compared to the last parliamentary elections in 2024. Over 600,000 users visited the media outlet’s website, and page views exceeded 1.3 million. Video reports generated over 3.2 million views, reaffirming bTV’s leading position in the online space during key news events.

During the final month of the “Elections 2026: Bulgaria Decides” campaign, bTV provided in-depth coverage across all its channels and platforms, featuring thematic debates, interviews, and special programs. It all began with the special election studio featuring the 3D mapping show “Direction,” which presented the key elections facing Bulgaria and outlined the main issues, positions, and possible scenarios for voters. The culmination came on Election Day, and the media continues to monitor the processes of forming the country’s future government.