News Broadcasting
Barc Week 26: Aaj Tak garners 12.6 per cent relative share in HSM 15+ market
Mumbai: News channel Aaj Tak is leading the Hindi-speaking market (HSM) 15+ audience in terms of share of Gross Rating Points (GRPs) during Week 26 i.e., between 25 June to 1 July for the time band 0200 – 2600 hours, as per Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) data shared with Indiantelevision.com by the channel.
The Hindi news channel garnered 16.2 GRPs and 12.6 per cent relative share in the HSM followed closely by India TV with 12.4 per cent share.
News18 India and Republic Bharat had 11.3 per cent and 11.1 per cent shares, respectively. TV9 Bharatvarsh and Zee News had 9.3 per cent and 8.7 per cent shares, respectively. Times Now Navbharat and ABP News had 7.0 per cent and 6.2 per cent shares, respectively. News Nation and Good News Today recorded 5.5 per cent and 4.9 per cent shares, respectively.
The Hindi news genre garnered a total of 128.5 GRPs during Week 26.
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.
