News Broadcasting
BTVI says biz news will continue to stay relevant
MUMBAI: It isn’t easy to make a mark in niche genres but two years post launch, Business Television India (BTVI), the English business news channel, has leveraged on editorial strengths to grab the third spot.
BTVI COO Megha Tata said, “In the last two years of our existence, we have had an incredible journey. Our content has been a huge differentiator and there is always scope for innovation. Of course, there are multiple other reasons as well such as growth in reach through our marketing distribution activities, digital performances.”
The channel is currently available on several financial apps like, IIFL, Kotak, HDFC Securities, Axis Bank, etc and caters to the audience who are keen to know about this space. BTVI is the only channel which is live streaming on these apps. It is also distributed on all key OTT platforms like Hotstar, Reliance Jio, Yupp TV, Airtel VOD and also on Tata Sky VOD.
Tata believes that the conversations that are happening are more relevant than a weekly analysis of data. The average time spent on the channel currently is 25-30 minutes.
BTVI executive editor Siddharth Zarabi said, “There are other sectors of news globally which are seeing de-growth but financial news will continue to retain relevance and importance because it is a highly specialised offering and the stock markets in India has done phenomenally well and they will continue to do so.”
The channel will soon launch a campaign about its digital offering and growth. The channel’s current focus is on six metros because that’s where its core audience is and the channel is 100 per cent distributed here. BTVI says its market share has shot up from 2-4 per cent to 18-20 per cent in these two years.
However, to retain viewership beyond market hours, which is the prime time of the channel, BTVI is taking certain measures. Tata said, “As market hours is the key focus for the channels in the business genre, we went beyond the market hours as well. We have done an analysis and we don’t see a very large audience out there in the tier II cities for the English business news play.”
Tata believes that the English business news genre has space only for three players. Overall, the genre according to her is Rs 400-500 crore in terms of revenue.
BTVI head marketing, research and branded content Anuj Katiyar said, “Our strategies and our content are completely driven by the ecosystem. So we don’t do high decibel plans by pushing a lot of money but it is far more focused and strategic in terms of our target audience with specific content.”
The channel had a phenomenal year considering advertising revenue. Ad rates increased by 60 per cent this year compared to the last.
“We have got some exclusive clients on board which moved out from their existing channel preferences to us. We have also got great branded content pieces on the automobile front with brands like Mercedes, Hyundai, Nissan and Toyota. The channel also has some new brands on board like Jeep and Indeed,” Tata added.
According to BARC rating of week 34, BTVI is in the third position in English business news with 123 impressions (000s) sum. The genre is lead by CNBC TV18, with 618 impressions (000s) sum.
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.
