News Broadcasting
TV18 net up 65% at Rs 138.21 million
MUMBAI: Television Eighteen’s consolidated net profit has shot up 65 per cent to Rs 138.21 million for the first quarter of this fiscal, as against Rs 83.51 in the year-ago period.
TV18’s revenue has also seen a 55 per cent jump to stand at Rs 416.07 million. In the first quarter of FY06, the company’s turnover was Rs 269.17 million. Early this year, TV18 had picked up a stake in Jagran TV, the managers of the Hindi news channel –Channel7.
Revenue from news operations rose to Rs 364.52 million, from Rs 257.31 million a year ago. TV18’s internet business has crossed $1 million during this quarter. The new media assets include the recent acquistion of jobstreet.com (Indian arm). The group plans to hive off its internet business this year.
TV18’s operating profit has gone up 57 per cent to Rs 213.76 million, up from Rs 136.45 million. The company has maintained an operating margin of over 50 per cent.
TV18’s restructuring scheme, which would make it compliant with the uplinking guidelines laid down by the government, has been approved by Delhi High Court.
“Our revenues continue to show robust growth and we expect to benefit significantly from the increase in distribution platforms for our services – via DTH, broadband, digital cable and mobile,” Television Eighteen MD Raghav Bahl says:
News Broadcasting
Network18 Q4 revenue grows 9.7 per cent, EBITDA at Rs 30 crore
PAT improves to Rs 306.6 crore, margins steady amid cost pressures.
MUMBAI: Not all news is breaking, some of it is quietly improving. Network18 Media & Investments Limited appears to be doing just that, tightening losses and stabilising margins even as costs continue to weigh on the business. For FY26, the company reported revenue from operations of Rs 1,955.1 crore, up from Rs 1,896.2 crore in FY25, signalling modest top-line growth in a challenging media environment. Total income stood at Rs 1,978.2 crore, compared to Rs 1,913 crore a year earlier.
Profit after tax came in at Rs 306.6 crore for the year, a sharp turnaround from Rs 3,225.4 crore in FY25, largely reflecting the absence of large exceptional items that had inflated the previous year’s numbers. On a more comparable basis, the company’s operating performance showed signs of gradual stabilisation.
However, the quarterly picture remained under pressure. For the March quarter, Network18 reported a loss of Rs 53.1 crore, narrower than the Rs 98.1 crore loss in the same period last year, but still indicative of ongoing cost challenges.
Expenses continued to track high. Total expenses for FY26 stood at Rs 2,235.7 crore, up from Rs 2,197.8 crore in FY25. Key cost heads included operational expenses of Rs 765.9 crore, employee benefits of Rs 475.9 crore, and marketing, distribution and promotional spends of Rs 427.1 crore, underlining the continued investment required to sustain reach and engagement.
At an operating level, margins remained under strain. Operating margin stood at 2.33 per cent for FY26, marginally higher than 1.77 per cent in FY25, while net profit margin remained negative at -13.02 per cent, though improved from -14.89 per cent.
On the balance sheet, total assets rose to Rs 8,957.6 crore as of 31 March 2026, from Rs 8,317.5 crore a year earlier. Equity strengthened to Rs 4,958.7 crore, while borrowings increased to Rs 3,112.8 crore, reflecting a higher reliance on debt to support operations.
Cash flows told a mixed story. While financing activities generated Rs 83.9 crore, operating cash flow remained negative at Rs -24 crore, highlighting ongoing pressure on core cash generation. Cash and cash equivalents, however, improved to Rs 33.9 crore from Rs 1.8 crore.
The numbers point to a company in transition growing revenues, trimming losses, but still grappling with structural cost pressures. In a sector where scale often comes at a price, Network18 seems to be inching towards balance, one quarter at a time.
