News Broadcasting
Barc Wk 5′ 23: Star Plus tops in all India market
Mumbai : Broadcast Audience Research Council (Barc) India has released currency data for the fifth week, i.e., 28 January to 3 February 2023 . As per data for the all India 2+ target group, Star Plus is the most watched channel in India with an average minute audience (AMA) of 2439.41 (000) AMA. It was followed by Sun TV at 2331.01 (000) AMA, Goldmines at 2048.55 (000) AMA , Dangal at 1994.68 (000) AMA and Star Maa at 1980.7 (000) AMA
The average minute audience (AMA) is defined as the number of individuals within a target audience who viewed a televised “event,” averaged across minutes. In the Hindi speaking market (HSM), Star Plus emerged as the most watched channel at 2354.6 (000) AMA, followed by Goldmines at 2022.69(000) AMA, Dangal at 1985.92 (000) AMA,, Colors at 1745.66 (000) AMA and Star Pravah at 1627.73 (000) AMA.
In the South market, Sun TV was the most watched channel at 2314.97 (000) AMA, followed by Star Maa at 1930.3 (000) AMA, Zee Kannada at 1552.68 (000) AMA , Zee Telugu at 1499.91(000) AMA and Star Vijay at 1317.28 (000) AMA.
In the Maharashtra/Goa market, Star Pravah was the most watched channel at 1612.77 (000) AMA , followed by Colors Marathi at 430.05 (000) AMA, Zee Marathi at 420.19 (000) AMA, Sony Sab at 374.62 (000) AMA and Colors at 350.85 (000) AMA.
In the West Bengal market, Star Jalsha was the most watched channel with 1032.42 (000) AMA, followed by Zee Bangla at 822.88 (000) AMA, Jalsha Movies at 168.91 (000) AMA, Colors Bangla at 139.66 (000) AMA and Enterr 10 Bangla at 126.9 (000) AMA.
In the megacities market, including Mumbai, New Delhi, Kolkata, Bengaluru and Chennai, Colors was the most watched channel at 475.71(000) AMA followed by Sun TV at 410.59 (000) AMA, Star Plus at 388.61 (000) AMA, Star Pravah at 303.49 (000) AMA and Star Vijay at 257.5 (000) AMA.
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.
