News Broadcasting
NDTV gets alive and kicking with new events vertical
MUMBAI: In a bold foray into the live entertainment business, New Delhi Television Ltd (NDTV) on Tuesday said its board has approved the launch of a new vertical titled NDTV Alive, aimed at capitalising on India’s booming events market. From ticketed spectacles to high-octane public experiences, the Adani-owned broadcaster is stepping beyond the newsroom and into the arena. The company announced this through a regulatory filing with the Bombay stock exchange earlier today.
To steer this fresh initiative, NDTV has brought in media veteran Rahul Kumar Shaw as chief experience officer. Shaw, who has clocked over three decades across heavyweights such as Star India, Zee Entertainment, SET India, and TV Today Network, joins with immediate effect and will also serve as senior management personnel.
NDTV Alive will focus on experiential formats, a strategic move the company claims will “diversify revenue” and solidify its entertainment footprint. Investments will vary depending on artist fees, production costs, marketing, ticketing, and insurance – but the ambition is unmistakable.
Shaw previously headed Stage AajTak, the experiential arm of TV Today, and is known for orchestrating immersive formats across TV, radio, and sport. A commerce graduate from Calcutta University, he is expected to bring his flair for content-meets-commerce to the new vertical.
While NDTV has not disclosed a fixed capital infusion, insiders say the venture signals a wider push under the Adani umbrella to reimagine legacy media assets for a more interactive age.
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.
