News Broadcasting
NDTV numbers down for Q2 2020
BENGALURU: The Prannoy and Radhika Roy-led New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) reported consolidated loss of Rs 10.50 crore for the quarter ended 30 September 2019 (Q2 2020, quarter or period under review) as compared to a profit of Rs 0.58 crore for the corresponding year ago quarter Q2 2019 (y-o-y). Consolidated operating revenue for the period under review declined 17.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 77.22 crore from Rs 102.24 crore in Q2 2019.
Consolidated total income which includes operating revenue as well as other income for Q2 2020 declined 21.8 percent y-o-y to Rs 78.8 crore from Rs 10.83 crore.
Consolidated Operating loss for the period under review was Rs 0.76 crore as compared to an operating profit (EBITDA) of Rs 4.35 crore in Q1 2019.
The company has two segments – television media and related operations (TV); and Retail/Ecommerce segment (Retail). For its TV segment, NDTV reported 17.6 percent y-o-y revenue decline at Rs 75.81 crore for Q2 2020 from Rs 92.03 crore. TV segment operating result for Q2 2020 was loss at Rs 1.25 crore as compared to an operating profit of Rs 13.92 crore for Q1 2019. For the Retail segment, NDTV reported revenue of Rs 1.87crore for Q2 2020 as compared to Rs 3.69 crore in Q2 2019. NDTV reported negative operating result (loss) to the extent of Rs 0.66 crore and loss of Rs 5.40 crore for Q2 2020 and Q2 2019 respectively.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by NDTV
Total expenses in Q2 2020 reduced 11.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 87.57 crore from Rs 98.65 crore. Production expenses and cost of services in Q2 2020 reduced 5.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 21.10 crore from Rs 22.29 crore. Finance costs increased 8.2 percent y-o-y in Q2 2020 to Rs 6.86 crore from Rs 6.34 crore during the corresponding period of the previous year. Employee benefit expense reduced 20.8 percent y-o-y in Q2 2020 to Rs 28.91 crore from Rs 36.49 crore in Q2 2019. Operating and administrative cost in the quarter under review increased 2.5 percent y-o-y to Rs 19.55 crore from Rs 19.08 crore in Q2 2019. Marketing distribution and promotional expenses in Q2 2020 was 25.3 percent lower y-o-y at Rs 8.42 crore as compared to Rs 11.27 crore.
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.
