News Broadcasting
ABP Network cements third place in India’s digital media race with 152 million monthly users
MUMBAI: ABP Network has tightened its grip on India’s digital news landscape, emerging once again as the country’s third-largest publisher, according to Comscore MMX Multi-Platform data for March 2025. The network reached over 152 million unique users across platforms, outshining rivals such as HT Media, Zee Digital, India Today Group, Times Network, and NDTV.
ABP Network’s dominant digital footprint spans web, apps, and Youtube, supported by an unmatched edge in regional news segments. With this continued performance, the network has retained its third-place ranking for the second month in a row.
In the Hindi news category, ABP News led the charts with 93.8 million unique visitors—beating NDTV.in by more than 28 million. Meanwhile, ABP Ananda topped the Bengali market with 10 million desktop and mobile users, and secured the number two position overall with a combined reach of 22.5 million when factoring in social media.
In Maharashtra, ABP Majha reigned supreme in the Marathi segment for a second consecutive month, drawing 22 million users in March and outperforming TV9 Marathi, Sakal Media, and Lokmat. ABP Nadu also made strong inroads in Tamil Nadu, ranking second with 10 million unique visitors.
This performance reflects ABP Network’s growing command over regional markets and its strategic focus on digital growth. The consistent growth underscores ABP Network’s commitment to expanding its national footprint while deepening its roots in local language markets. With its strong audience engagement, the company continues to raise the bar for digital journalism in India.
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.
