News Broadcasting
Film ‘Gadar’ gives Zee entry in Top 20
MUMBAI: The film smashed all before it last year and was one of the stellar achievements for Subhash Chandra’s Zee Group in 2001. And the airing of Gadar Ek Prem Katha, gave Zee TV a Top 20 performance on the ratings charts after a long while.
The jingoistic Bollywood blockbuster that had he-man Sunny Deol playing the lead aired on Zee on 14 August (the eve of Independence Day) and has made two entries into the ratings charts. The second half of the movie (post 10 pm) registered 17 (5.05 TVRs) on the ratings scale while the first half (8 pm onwards) was 21 (4.5 TVRs) on the TAM ratings for 4+ TG across all markets for the week from 11 August to 17 August.
There was another movie in the Top 20 and that was the critically acclaimed Aamir Khan starrer Dil Chaata Hai that aired on Star Plus on Saturday night, 17 August, and came in at 19 notching up TVRs of 4.65.
Zee’s Playwin Lucky 3 lottery was the only other show that made its mark on the Top 100 at 28 with ratings of 4.08.
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.
