News Broadcasting
BarcWk8: News18 Gujarati strengthens its leadership position in the state
Mumbai : As per the latest data provided by the Broadcast Audience Research Council (BARC), News18 Gujarati has surpassed 25.1 per cent market share to take the top spot in the Gujarati News category this week.
ABP Asmita, TV9 Gujarati, Sandesh News, VTV News, and Mantavya 24×7 News have all been surpassed by News18 Gujarati, according to the most recent BARC data. ABP Asmita came in second with a market share of 23.9 per cent , while TV9 Gujarati had a 19.4 per cent share. Sandesh News had a 14.6 per cent market share, followed by VTV and Mantavya 24×7 News with 13.2 per cent and 3.5 per cent , respectively. (BARC; market share percentage 24 hours, TG: All 15+, Guj/D&D/DNH, Wk 08’23, All days)
News18 Gujarati offers programs that provide unparalleled perspective and also help to decode the news so that it is readily understandable, with the most extensive lineup of Prime Time programmes & anchors in the news category. As a result, the public has a great deal of resonance with News18 Gujarati.
The station has made editorial resource investments in addition to purchasing cutting-edge studios and expanding its network of reporters on the ground in order to maintain News18 Gujarati’s programming and presentation as distinctive and far superior to the competition. As a result, News18 Gujarati has experienced substantial growth on social networking sites like YouTube.
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.
