News Broadcasting
CNBC-TV18 beats all English general news channels combined on budget day
MUMBAI: Network18’s English business news channel CNBC-TV18 got the most accurate and comprehensive coverage of Union Budget 2020 and beat all English general news channels on Budget day by garnering maximum viewership of 468 (Imp’000)*.
The combined viewership of the 8 general news channels including Times Now, CNN-News18, Republic, India Today TV and others was a mere 421,000 impressions. Its viewership was almost four and a half times the viewership of Times Now and almost double of Times Now and Republic combined.
The day where the eyes and ears of the Indian citizen is hooked onto their screens, CNBC-TV18 left no stone unturned in delivering top-quality content via its extensive, exclusive and unmatched coverage. Almost 4 out of every 5 English Business news viewers on Budget day were watching CNBC-TV18.
Network18’s chief executive officer – English & business news cluster Basant Dhawan said, “Union Budget is the most important event for our channel and our viewers. We strive to deliver unmatched coverage, analysis, and opinions to our viewers and maintained this tradition for two decades now.”
“What we have achieved this Budget, with regards to viewership figures is remarkable and one to be proud of. Not only are we a leader in just business news space, but our viewership on budget day is higher than the combined viewership of all English general news channels,” Dhawan added.
It was the first full year Union Budget presented by the country’s very first female finance minister, Nirmala Sitharaman on February 1.
CNBC-TV18 provided content and information via an integrated newsroom comprising CNBC-TV18, CNBC Awaaz, CNBC Bajar and www.cnbctv18.com with utmost authenticity and perspective from market experts ensuring that the investor is kept abreast of the day’s events. The Finance Minister’s very first interview to CNBC-TV18 saw a remarkable share of 100%
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.
