News Broadcasting
Big screens, bigger numbers as Network18 switches news to CTV
MUMBAI: The news has officially moved from the palm to the sofa. Network18 has delivered a landmark digital performance in 2025, riding a sharp surge across Connected TV (CTV), Youtube and social platforms to cement its leadership in India’s fast-evolving digital news ecosystem.
At the heart of this growth was CTV, which emerged as the new living-room screen, reviving multi-generational co-viewing and blending the authority of television with the freedom of digital choice. Network18 recorded 2.5 billion CTV views in 2025, a 26 percent year-on-year jump, driven by longer watch times and deeper engagement. The gains were powered by a deliberate cross-screen strategy that followed viewers seamlessly from mobile to large screens, across languages and formats.
As smart TV penetration and broadband access accelerate, CTV is rapidly becoming a performance-ready platform for both audiences and advertisers. Network18’s scale places it at the forefront of this shift, positioning news as a shared, large-screen experience once again.
Commenting on the milestone Network18 Connected chief growth officer Pranav Bakshi said the performance underlined CTV’s potential as an anchor screen for news consumption in India, while reinforcing the group’s focus on innovation and storytelling at scale.
Looking ahead, Network18 is sharpening its focus on CTV-led growth in 2026, with plans to invest in large-screen-first content curation and work more closely with advertisers on targeting and measurement-led solutions. The group is also building a global-grade CTV infrastructure and solutions stack, with presence across major OEM and OTT ecosystems including JioHotstar, JioTV, Samsung, Xiaomi and LG. A CTV-first Network18 app is slated for launch in 2026 to deliver a more curated big-screen experience.
Beyond CTV, the network’s digital dominance continued across platforms. In 2025, Network18 logged 56 billion total views, the highest for any news publisher globally in a single calendar year. Watch hours surged 87 percent, rising from 1.4 billion to 3 billion, signalling sustained audience attention rather than fleeting clicks.
On Youtube, 12 Network18 channels ranked number one in their respective categories in December 2025, as the group crossed 6 billion views, nearly three times that of its closest competitors. The network now commands a 200-million-strong Youtube audience, publishing content in English, Hindi and over 13 regional languages, while its social footprint has expanded to 386 million followers.
Taken together, the numbers underline a clear shift, as screens grow bigger, so does Network18’s digital influence, reinforcing its position as India’s most powerful news and information network in the age of platform-first consumption.
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.
