News Broadcasting
‘Nach Baliye’ drives Star One to GEC top league
MUMBAI: Star One is closing the calendar year on a solid note. The channel, quoting the TAM Media Research data, has claimed that the Nach Baliye final ratings helped it to grab the second position among Hindi General Entertainment Channels.
For the week 51-2005 (11 December to 17 December 2005), Star One recorded a channel share of 37 per cent against Sony’s 28 per cent and Zee’s 35 per cent in the CS, 4yrs+, HSM; All Day Relative share category.
“This is a great to way to kick off 2006,” says a beaming Star India EVP marketing Ajay Vidyasagar. “Nach Baliye was one of the most successful shows that Star One delivered this year. It is great to note that, the show delivered as per expectations. With the kind of variety popular programmes Star One has, we are sure that the position will be kept intact,” he adds.
As per the data provided by the channel, Nach Baliye delivered 4.69 TVR, 6.13 TVR and 7.17 TVR respectively in the final three weeks. The Nach Baliye marathon special played on 11 December scored an overall rating of 1.63.
The Tam data also supports Star One constant efforts to dismiss the ‘metro channel’ label. The Nach Baliye final episode recorded the following ratings in the HSM markets: Mumbai 13.3, Delhi 7.6 , Gujarat 1 million+ 9.5, Maharashtra 1 million + 5.5, Madhya Pradesh 1 million + 5.9, Rajasthan 0.1 million + 12. According to the channel, the final episode recorded a rating of 8.7 in the HSM 1 million + market.
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.
