News Broadcasting
NDTV Metro Nation Chennai to launch by mid-year
NEW DELHI: After the three new channels being announced to be launched from NDTV Networks, the company’s expansion plan now takes its Metro Nation channel down south.
Sources told indiantelevision.com that NDTV’s internal memos have told staffers that the process of launching the new channel is on the countdown mode, and that Metro Nation will be launched in Chennai soon, expectedly middle of this year.
A top official from the PCR at Metro Nation (Delhi) is being sent to Chennai in the middle of February to start recruitments for setting up a full team, as well as creating the infrastructure, sources said.
The next step would be to start the Metro Nation from Bangalore, Hyderabad and Kolkata, which would be early next year, if plans work out well with the Chennai edition.
Though NDTV is keen on the new content of music and Hollywood films, the expansion would be faster in the Metro Nation channels, sources said, as the company’s internal assessment finds its Delhi reception very encouraging.
The distribution office has reportedly received very favourable response from the Delhi cable mandarins, where the niche, city-based channel was launched last year.
More than 60 per cent cable networks in Delhi have started streaming NDTV Metro Nation, the internal assessment note says.
There is a minor issue with the DTH platform, as at the moment, NDTV Metro Nation is seen on the backburner channels of TataSky.
Sources said that the “hard launch” on TataSky’s premier bands will follow from the middle of next month.
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.
