News Broadcasting
Live Times expands reach, now available on DD Free Dish
MUMBAI: India’s first global multicast news hub, Live Times, has bolstered its distribution network by securing a coveted position on DD Free Dish Channel No. 100, alongside adding Waves OTT to its digital portfolio.
The strategic expansion follows Live Times’ already robust presence across major DTH platforms—Tata Play, Dish TV, and Airtel DTH—as well as on Jio TV, India’s largest digital platform.
With this latest move, Live Times has dramatically expanded its footprint to reach approximately 150 million households or 450 million individuals across socioeconomic categories A, B and C. This comprehensive coverage spanning the entire social spectrum underscores the network’s commitment to delivering “authentic and accurate” news to citizens across all demographic and economic backgrounds.
“Information is power, only when it is factually correct,” remarked Live Times founder Dilip Kumar Singh.”To ensure that our viewers and users are empowered with truth alone… Live Times on DD Free Dish is one of the key platforms to take the truth even to the nook and corners of the country.”
The addition of DD Free Dish—often referred to as India’s common man’s entertainment lifeline—serves to bridge the persistent information gap between metropolitan centres and rural communities. Singh added that the expansion represents “one step closer to democratising access to news and information.”
For advertisers seeking to connect with a diverse, pan-Indian audience, Live Times now offers unprecedented reach from urban hubs to remote villages through a platform that prides itself on authentic journalism with impact.
Viewers can access Live Times on DD Free Dish (Channel 100), Tata Play (Channel 539), DishTV (Channel 665), Airtel Digital TV (Channel 385), Jio TV (Channel 3069), and Sikka Cable TV (Channel 319).
The network, which operates from what it describes as “a state-of-the-art multicast hub”—purportedly the first of its kind in India—follows the ethos of “Satyam Shivam Sundaram” while leveraging partnerships with global technology companies and content providers to deliver its news service.
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.
