News Broadcasting
Cricket knocks ‘KBC’ down the ratings ladder
MUMBAI: Cricket has done a number on Star Plus’ Kaun Banega Crorepati, which opened with a big bang clocking 5.3 TVR, but saw a significant ratings drop on Wednesday.
In a downward trend, the ratings for the show have slipped by 1.8 per cent to 3.5 (aMap TG C&S4+ in the North West East India market) on its third day of telecast.
Clearly, KBC received a kick on 24 January due to the India Vs West Indies ODI match telecast on Neo Sports and DD1, which garnered a market share of 27.8 per cent on an All-India level.
Could this be a dampener for Star? Star India president advertising sales and distribution Paritosh Josh tells Indiantelevision.com, “I would not be too excited about the ratings generated on the first day, as it would be the outcome of the hype created by the enormous marketing and media coverage.”
Date
Market Share
22
Monday
24.1
23
Tuesday
24.0
24 Wednesday
15.4
aMap’s overnight television ratings system indicates that the market share for the show has dipped from 24 per cent on the first two days to 15.4 per cent on the third.
Although good opening ratings is not a bad thing, what is required is ‘stickiness’ that has to be built and sustained over time, says Joshi.
A point of note is that all genres suffered as a result of the cricket with the hardest hit being the regional satellite channels, which saw viewing plummet 31.9 per cent. GEC channels followed closely at 29.4 per cent while south satellite and cable saw a drop in market share of 20.4 per cent.
As opposed to what KBC set out to target, in terms of a more ‘youth’ based audience to be drawn in with SRK’s charms, ratings suggest that the average age for the viewers is 32 years.
Joshi however is optimistic and says that he would not subscribe to the mentioned ratings, but instead await TAM’s report on Monday 29 January to further comment on the response that KBC has garnered.
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.
