News Broadcasting
Republic Network becomes the largest news network with 184 million reach
MUMBAI: Republic Network smashed the national news networks and commanded number one position with 184 million Reach. The viewership of Republic Bharat has increased by 228% over the period in the last five weeks doubling the reach to 138 million. Republic Bharat was ahead this week keeping its focus on its core agenda of Rashtravad and 100% news. In the English News genre, Republic TV continued its winning streak, being number one consistently since 95 weeks.
Republic Network elevated its news agenda by pulling out one exclusive after the other which set the agenda for national discourse. As the focus at the Front shifted to the ceasefire violations of Pakistan this week and how mortal shelling from across the border killed young children on the Indian side, Republic Bharat’s ‘Sarhad Par 100’ format ensured that the Bharat team was with the victims and brought their stories to the people across the country. With an aggressive deployment at Poonch, Sunderbani Sector, Mendhar, Rajouri, Nowshera along the LoC and Longewala, Hindumalkot, Jaisalmer, Pathankot and Attari at the International Border, Republic Bharat was the only news team bringing India the pulse and the on-ground breaking news from the Front.
While Team Bharat was ahead of the curve in terms of breaking news on the retaliatory action by the Indian Forces and the anti-terror encounters in Jammu and Kashmir, the channel changed the narrative on Sunday with its super exclusive video on the Baloch Army attacking Pakistan Army posts, which came days after the Pashtuns warned Pakistan. Taking its content play and journalism to fifth gear, for the first time on national television, Republic Bharat had put out clinching proof the IAF strikes against Pakistan after it accessed photos of the strike in Balakot and brought to its viewers specific information pertaining to the SPICE 2000 weapon used in India’s strike.
Not relenting even the day after getting the big exclusive of the Balakot pictures, Republic Bharat brought its viewers the maximum details on the Jammu terror attack within the breaking news format.
Republic Bharat’s swiftness and innovation while setting the agenda continued right to the last day of the week– when the Supreme Court announced a mediation on the Ayodhya case and the channel had a full-scale show with top Hindu saints and a live audience from Ayodhya to discuss the matter. On the final day of the week, Republic Bharat also put out the Republic TV-C-Voter Popularity poll was a daily tracker of political sentiment of 50,000 Indians over a period of above 60 days which reported the national sentiment of the electorate. Whether it was reporting from the front, taking on those who insult and politick over India’s forces, those who batted against nationalistic slogans of India, or it was setting the agenda for Election 2019:
With the aggressive strategy on content and with its pace of innovation in breaking the news and breaking the established mould in terms of format, Republic News Network is now officially topping the charts.
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.
