News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak claims reaffirms it is ‘saabse aage’, the numero uno
MUMBAI: The number game is on. Quoting the latest Tam rating Aaj Tak has now made a fresh claim to the number one slot.
Referring to the ratings for the week ending 2 October 2004, Aaj Tak claims that it still is the no. 1 channel in the country. According to the ratings, the channels commands all-India channel share of 24.8 per cent in the ABC 15+ category. In the C&S Male ABC 25+ category, which forms the core of news viewership, this further goes up to 27.5 percent.
With a reach of 27.01 million households, Aaj Tak was the most watched channel amongst the various news channels in the country, claims a company release.
The release comes as a response to last week’s uproar, following the claims and counter claims made by couple of news channels. Most of the channels were resorting to making claims to the top slot as viewers’ first choice. As a befitting reply, Aaj Tak offers that all those channels have tried to tout their performance based on fragmented data pertaining to select regions. In addition to that, the channel claims that the latest TRP figures demonstrates Aaj Tak’s supremacy over the other news channels.
Negating all dips in the ratings as mere blips, TV Today Network’s official spokesperson Rajesh Sheshadri, as quoted in the release, said, “In a competitive scenario there are bound to be occasion changes in the weekly ratings, but being a leader is all about consistency. We have been the market leader in all TAM weeks for the past 3+ years, which in itself is a clear testimony to Aaj Tak’s enduring appeal as a category leader.”
An analysis of the TAM data for the past 40 weeks provides a clear picture of who rules the roost amongst the news channels. Aaj Tak has been the undoubted market leader in terms of channel share in all 40 TAM weeks, and also occupied the No. 1 position based on ‘Time Spent’ and ‘Reach’, claims the release.
Besides quoting Tam data, Aaj Tak has also taken into account data assimilated by other sources like Cybermedia, AC Nielsen. According to the release, even they have time and again reinforced Aaj Tak’s supremacy over the other news channels in terms of brand awareness, top-of-mind recall, excellence in presentation and many such critical parameters.
Aaj Tak’s objective has always been to provide the best of news programming to its viewers. Aaj Tak’s performance during the Union elections and the Union budget, two of the biggest news events this year clearly indicates that when it comes to news, Aaj Tak is the No. 1 choice, adds the release.
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.
