News Broadcasting
‘Nach Baliye’ opens well for Star One
MUMBAI: Nach Baliye returned to TV screens in its second season and has shot straight to the top, claims the channel quoting the Tam numbers for the opening week.
The first week’s studio performance episode, which aired on Monday, 25 September, 2006, for two and a half hours, entered the charts of the Top 50 shows CS4+ HSM category.
The ratings were 4.9 in CS4+ HSM. The show has captured over 9.8 million viewers across the country and has registered TVRs as high as 6.61 in Mumbai and 5.54 in New Delhi (CS4 + HSM), as per Tam.
“Show after show, season after season, Star One continues to rewrite benchmarks of success on Indian television. The launch performance episode of Nach Baliye 2 has garnered a significant rating, it has been one of the most anticipated returns of any show and once again it has proved its worthiness.” says Star India EVP Content Deepak Segal.
A new addition to the Nach Baliye story this year is the Voting Special, which airs every Tuesday at 8 pm. Moreover, a lifeline been given to the couples who stand on the verge of being eliminated by the contestants who are already in the ‘suraksha chakra’, informs an official release.
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.
