News Broadcasting
Barc Wk 39 – Wk 42: News18 India maintains pole position in news genre
Mumbai: News18 India has strengthened its leadership in the field. According to the most current Barc data for Wk 39 to 42, Aaj Tak, which has slipped to the fourth spot in the viewership statistics, is 29 per cent behind the channel.
According to Barc data (market share per cent 24 hrs TG:15+, India, Wk 39-42’22, All Day), News18 India accounts for 15.9 per cent, followed by TV9 Bharatvarsh at 13.6 per cent, India TV and Aaj Tak both accounting for 12.3 per cent each.
According to Barc data (market share per cent, 6 p.m. to 12 a.m., TG:15+ HSM, Wk 39-42, All days), News18 India maintained its dominant position in the highly sought-after prime time slot, capturing a staggering 16.5 per cent market share. TV9 Bharatvarsh managed 14.8 per cent of the market, while India TV, Republic Bharat, and Aaj Tak each maintained a 12.3 per cent share.
The most prestigious time slot in the national Hindi news genre, between 9 p.m. and 10 p.m., has also been maintained by News18 India, where Kishore Ajwani’s show tops Rajat Sharma’s show on India TV and Sudhir Chaudhary’s show on Aaj Tak.
While News18 India dominated the news segment with 18.7 per cent market share, India TV managed 16.2 per cent, followed by Republic Bharat with 15 per cent and Aaj Tak with 13.6 per cent, respectively, as per Barc data (market share per cent, 2100-2200 hrs, TG:15+ HSM, week 39-42’22, Mon-Fri).
According to the weekly report, News18 India has been outperforming the top general entertainment channels (GEC) in terms of reach.
The channel claims that News18 brands have been gaining strong traction even online, with their views rising rapidly across YouTube and other social media platforms.
To stay well ahead of the competition and maintain its distinctively tailored content for the audience, News18 has made significant investments in technology and editorial resources.
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.
