News Broadcasting
DD-Nimbus shines in all India homes, fails in metros
MUMBAI: Whatever may be the scene in C&S homes, in the all-India market Doordarshan rules. It has been no different for the ongoing ICC World Cup 2003.
For the first three cricket World Cup 2003 matches, DD delivered consistently higher viewership as compared to MAX in the all homes segment, TAM data released by Nimbus says.
A closer look at the ratings shows that DD hasn’t fared well in South India and metros in all India homes. It also fails to make a dent in the C&S households whereas MAX has made gains even in the all-India home markets.
Nimbus Communications senior vice president – TV and sports Sunil Manocha was quoted in a press release as saying: “So far all our estimates and projections in terms of the audience shares and our revenue targets have been right. With the combined advantages of great and innovative scheduling, clear focus on cricket and a world class feed; Doordarshan is all set to emerge the clear winner on ratings and revenues in this cricket World Cup.”
All India
Date
Match
DD1 TVR
Satellite channel TVR
DD reach advantage in per cent
9 Feb 2003
South Africa vs W. Indies
3.6
3.4
6
12 Feb 2003
India vs Holland
6.9
5.4
27
15 Feb 2003
India vs Australia
6.5
5.1
27
Tam India, all homes, all individuals
In fact, the India-Holland and India-Australia match featured on the ninth and tenth positions in the Top 100 programmes list for all India market 4 years plus. The India-Australia match on MAX was placed at the nineteenth position in the Top 100 list for all homes 4 years plus.
DD has a total of 15 cricket related programmes in the Top 100 list whereas MAX had a total of nine programmes in the Top 100 list for all India 4 years plus homes. DD doesn’t feature in the C&S Top 100 list at all. In fact, the West Indies-South Africa, New Zealand-West Indies and Pakistan-Australia matches featured in the Top 100 list in addition to the matches involving India.
The Nimbus release states that DD’s plans for telecasting the 16 ‘Big Gun’ live matches including all India matches and a match every weekend, has paid rich dividends in all the key markets like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Eastern India.
– Doordarshan fares well as compared to the satellite channel in the prosperous markets of Maharashtra, UP, MP, Punjab and Gujarat, say Nimbus officials. However, TAM data says that DD is behind in the Gujarat market.
– South India, the market with highest C&S penetration – Doordarshan averages a 15 per cent higher viewership, claims a Nimbus release. However a closer look reveals that DD has taken a beating in rest of Andhra Pradesh 1 million plus towns including Hyderabad; in Tamil Nadu including Chennai; Karnataka including Bangalore. However, DD fared well in Kerala.
– Doordarshan wins the race over the satellite channel in Kolkata, states the Nimbus release. However, DD lags behind in all the other metros. However, in the India-Australia match, DD scored over MAX in Chennai bu lagged behind in the other two matches.
All India 4 years plus India vs Australia
Region
DD1 TVR
Satellite channel
DD advantage in per cent
North/West
Maha rest
15.7
4.3
265
MP 1 mn +
8.8
1.8
388
UP rest 0.1 to 1 mn
6.2
1.8
244
UP rest 1 mn +
7.2
3.9
85
PHCHP 1mn +
3.3
2.8
18
Guj 1 mn +
5.1
5.6
-8
South
AP rest 1 mn +
3.0
4.3
-30
AP rest 0.1 to 1 mn
3.4
3.9
-13
TN rest 1 mn +
3.3
5.7
-42
TN rest 0.1 to 1 mn
1.7
2.8
-39
Kar rest 0.1 mn to 1 mn
4.6
5.8
-21
Ker 1 mn +
7.1
3.9
82
Metros
Kolkata
11.1
10.3
7
Delhi
4.4
4.4
0
Hyderabad
4.4
5.3
-17
Chennai
3.5
3.3
6
Bangalore
3
7.1
-58
Mumbai
4.4
7.6
-42
All India
6.5
5.1
27
Tam India, all India, all individuals for India-Australia match
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.
