News Broadcasting
GST ad deferrals hit Network 18 revenue in Q1-18
BENGALURU: The GST implementation resulted in deferral of advertising spends in late Q1-18 (quarter ended 30 June 2017, current quarter) says Network 18 Limited.: While April-May witnessed robust revenue growth, June was substantially impacted by postponement in advertising spends. Nevertheless, The company believe that this is a transitory impact and GST shall drive the informal economy towards the formal channel in the long-run, which will push up advertising spends.
Overall revenue including proportionate share of JVs’ increased 3 percent year-over-year (y-o-y) in Q1-18 to Rs 8,360 million from Rs 8,140 million in the corresponding year ago quarter Q1-17.Segment operating loss (EBIDTA) declined to Rs 510 millon in Q1-18 as compared to Rs 580 million in Q1-17. Revenue as IND-AS in Q1-18 was lower at Rs 3,210 million as compared to Rs 3,520 million in Q1-17. Operating loss as per IND-AS declined to Rs 460 million as compared to Rs 740 million in Q1-17.
Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai said,“The digital space in India is witnessing an insatiable appetite for quality content, and Network18 continues to be at the forefront of providing the same in a frictionless manner across genres. We aim to marry vernacular and digital opportunities in India with our strength in linear media to fulfil the rising demand for content that is both targeted and available on-demand.”
Zainulbhai continued, “The industry is navigating through a period of flux in both the advertising environment and the subscription business model; but underlying growth tailwinds are intact and bode well for committed players. We believe that TV18 is well-positioned to capitalize on its strengths in content curation and creation of scalable platforms for seamless delivery. Our commitment to creating value for all our stakeholders is reflected in our continued investments into incubating segmented offerings, and consistently building on our areas of leadership.”
TV 18, the listed subsidiary of Network 18 reported 1.8 percent y-o-y decline in consolidated revenue in Q1-18 to Rs 2,170 million from Rs 2,210 million. TV18’s. TV18 owns and operates the largest network of channels – 49 in India spanning news and entertainment. It also caters to the Indian diaspora globally through 13 international channels. The company says that revenue growth from business news boosted TV18 standalone operating EBITDA. However, regional news witnessed softness in revenues and low profitability due to gestation losses. Entertainment revenues were aided by strong performance in niche genres and strength of the bouquet, it adds.
TV18 posted consolidated revenues of Rs. 6,280 million (including proportionate share of JVs) in Q1FY18, a 4 percent y-o-y growth. Profitability improved mildly, driven by business news performance and helped by steady ramp-up of the multiple new initiatives undertaken in Q1-17.
Tv18’s Total Expenditure in Q1-18 increased 2.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 2,520 million from Rs 2,450 million.TV 18’sEmployee Benefits Expense in the current quarter increased 23.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 950 million from Rs 770 million. TV 18’2 Finance costs declined 20 percent y-o-y in Q1-18 to Rs 40 million from Rs 50 million.
TV18’s Other expenses in Q1-18 declined 13 percent to Rs 870 million from Rs 1,000 million.TV 18’s Distribution, advertising and business promotion expense reduced 3.8 percent y-o-y in Q1-18 to Rs 510 million from Rs 530 million.
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News Broadcasting
News TV viewership jumps 33 per cent as West Asia war draws audiences
BARC Week 8 data shows news share rising to 8 per cent despite T20 World Cup
NEW DELHI: Even as individual television news channel ratings remain under a temporary pause, the genre itself is seeing a clear surge in audience attention.
According to the latest data from Broadcast Audience Research Council India, television news recorded a 33 per cent jump in genre share in Week 8 of 2026, covering February 28 to March 6.
The news genre accounted for 8 per cent of total television viewership during the week, up from 6 per cent the previous week. The spike in attention coincided with escalating geopolitical tensions involving the United States, Israel and Iran, which have kept global headlines firmly fixed on West Asia.
The rise is notable because it came at a time when cricket was dominating television screens. The high-stakes stages of the ICC Men’s T20 World Cup, including the Super 8 fixtures and semi-finals, were being broadcast during the same period.
Despite the cricket frenzy, viewers appeared to be toggling between sport and global affairs, boosting the overall share of news programming.
The surge in genre share comes even as the government has enforced a one-month pause on publishing ratings for individual news channels. The move followed regulatory scrutiny of the television ratings ecosystem.
While channel-level rankings remain temporarily out of sight, the genre-level data suggests that when global tensions escalate, audiences continue to turn to television news for real-time updates.
