News Broadcasting
Mathrubhumi’s Naveen Sreenivasan aims to build new revenue streams, expand client base
NEW DELHI: As the industry steps into the crucial revival phase post several months of Covid2019-induced downturn, Naveen Sreenivasan has taken charge as the new head of Mathrubhumi Group’s media solutions team for the group’s TV channels — Mathrubhumi News and Kappa TV, its radio brand Club FM, as well as all of its digital business.
Sreenivasan is visibly excited about his new role and is positive that the market will only grow in the coming months. He said, “The business environment in Kerala started bouncing back quite quickly post an initial couple of months of the pandemic and advertising picked up during Onam. Now, with the national festive season starting, we see the momentum carrying on. Interest in advertising is definitely alive and we have been seeing active advertising from a wide range of verticals including automobile, NBFCs, FMCGs, jewellery, and education. We have also witnessed substantial activity from local businesses especially in Club FM, which clearly indicates that the local markets are alive.”
He noted that while the market conditions are on an upward trajectory, challenges still persist. “This is an opportunity for us to dig deep, double down on our efforts smartly, build new revenue streams and expand our client base. My experience of working with the print business will definitely hold me in good stead in leveraging synergies between our media verticals.”
The festive season has opened up the gates of opportunities across sectors in the state, as a result of which the group is slowly getting back to its pre-Covid advertising rates, he added.
Speaking about his strategy and initial plans, Sreenivasan said that he is looking forward to leveraging synergies amongst the group’s assets and the team’s deep understanding of the Kerala market to deliver value for various clients.
He added, “On digital, where the market is evolving the fastest, we are looking at very aggressive growth by building on our strengths and tapping into new revenue streams. We already have a news ecosystem which delivers 100 million page views and 10 million monthly unique visitors and a social media ecosystem with five million followers. Among our other digital products, we have industry-specific offerings – like FindHome, our real estate portal.”
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.
