News Broadcasting
Aaj Tak leads HSM market share from week 1-10 ’22: Barc
Mumbai: Aaj Tak had the highest market share amongst eight opt-in Hindi news channels from week 1-10 in 2022, according to the data shared by Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India.
The data shows that Aaj Tak had a market share of 25.3 per cent, followed by TV9 Bharatvarsh at 21.4 per cent and Republic TV with a 19.9 per cent share. The data was for the Hindi-speaking market, 15+ target audience, NCCS All. Aaj Tak also had the highest market share in urban and rural markets at 27 per cent and 23.2 per cent share, respectively.
As per Barc, Aaj Tak’s coverage since the beginning of the year 2022 has reached 10 crore viewers every week (TG 2+). The latest data released by Barc for news channels is governed by an augmented data reporting standard which has a four-week rolling average.
Barc India has released data for individual news channels after a 17-month hiatus. The TV audience measurement agency had also agreed to release the past 13 weeks of data after consultation with industry stakeholders. However, many news channels including India TV, News18 India, ABP News, Good News Today, News 24, and NDTV India have opted out of past data. NDTV India has completely pulled out of Barc ratings.
(Source: BARC; TG: 15+ NCCS All; Market: HSM; Period: Wk 1-10’22; 8 Opt-in Hindi News Channels)
(Source: BARC; TG: 2+ NCCS All; Market; India Period: Wk 1-10’22; Cume Rch (Crores); 8 Opt-in Hindi News Channels)
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.
