News Broadcasting
CNBC TV18, Awaaz hold fort on Budget day
MUMBAI: TV18 business channels – CNBC TV18 and CNBC Awaaz – have maintained leadership positions in their respective genres on the Budget day.
As per Tam data for 26 February, when finance Minister Pranab Mukherjee was reading out the union Budget in the Parliament, the English business viewers preferred CNBC TV18 over competition.
The channel commanded 43.2 per cent viewership (Tam, CS 25+, All India), followed by Bloomberg UTV and ET Now (20.6 per cent each). Surprisingly, NDTV Profit, the second in command for the week, could manage only 15.5 per cent viewership.
Meanwhile, in the Hindi business news terrain, CNBC Awaaz maintained its dominance on 26 February with 71.3 per cent genre share as compared to 28.8 per cent of Zee Business (Tam, 25+, HSM Market).
Among the English general news channels (Tam, CS 25+, All India), Times Now led the pack not only on Budget day but also throughout the week. On 26 February, the channel dominated the genre with 31.4 per cent viewership, followed by NDTV 24X7 (30.9 per cent) and CNN IBN (29.1 per cent). Headlines Today got 7.3 per cent while NewsX managed to hold 1.4 per cent of the viewership pie.
CNN IBN said it occupied the top position on Budget day in the C&S audience segment aged 15+ (0600-2400 hours). In its defined demographic, CNN IBN garnered a ratio of 0.12 per cent over Times Now (0.11 per cent) and NDTV 24X7 (0.11 per cent).
The Hindi general news space was led by Aaj Tak with 21 per cent share, followed by Star News (16 per cent), Zee News (15 per cent) and India TV (13 per cent) on the day.
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.
