News Broadcasting
Linear TV witnesses upsurge in viewing during lockdown
MUMBAI: Recent media reports have revealed shifts in consumers’ viewing behaviours, with individuals and families spending more time at home due to the Covid2019 pandemic. This has resulted in a spike in linear TV viewing, in terms of penetration and time spent across multiple markets and all generations.
News channels and programmes have seen a surge in viewership as news updates and government announcements on new regulations and the pandemic development become profoundly important to the public. During this period of uncertainty, satellite continues to be a reliable and cost-effective means for content delivery, serving audiences nationally and abroad with critical and timely news and information.
As Asia’s leading provider of broadcast platforms, AsiaSat strives to meet consumers’ evolving demand for content and viewing quality. Among the 550 TV and radio channels originated from more than 30 countries and regions in 30 languages delivered by the AsiaSat fleet, more than 80 are news channels, with 60 per cent of them in local languages targeting local markets as well as expatriates and travellers who want to keep abreast of the happenings in their home countries.
Over the past year, the number of HDTV channels increased across AsiaSat’s core video satellites AsiaSat 5 and AsiaSat 7, as well as its new video hotbird AsiaSat 9 at 122°E. These HDTV channels have included the Asian Action Channel, CTI Asia, ET Mall, PILI TV, Trace Sport Stars, Trace Urban, TVB Xing He and tvN Movies on AsiaSat 9, and a selection of WarnerMedia’s bouquet of regional HD channels on AsiaSat 7 including CNN, Cartoon Network, Boomerang and Warner TV, raising the share of HDTV services to 30% across the AsiaSat fleet.
“At AsiaSat, while committed to protecting the safety and health of our employees during this difficult period, we will continue supporting our customers to deliver high-quality and uninterrupted services to their audience even as demand for TV content surges unpredictably. With our growing HDTV services and wide-ranging news and entertainment programming, we are delighted to demonstrate satellite’s ability to multicast high resolution content, particularly over a vast geographical area and with a growing population of receive antennas, which is more resilient in coping with unexpected soaring demand for services than streaming TV services that were required to lower streaming quality at times of network congestion,” said Ina Lui, senior vice president, commercial, business development and strategy at AsiaSat.
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.
