News Broadcasting
NDTV Q3 2005 net profit Rs 26 million; declares entertainment channel plans
MUMBAI: Very much in line with market expectations, the Prannoy Roy promoted-NDTV Ltd today announced a net profit of Rs 26.5 million for the third quarter ended 31 December 2005, down 82 per cent from a consolidated net of Rs 148.92 million in the corresponding quarter in 2004.
On the revenue side, income registered a 29.5 per cent growth over the same quarter last year.
In a conference call to analysts and reporters while announcing the results, Roy also spelled out the future plans for his network, including foraying into the general entertainment segment. NDTV is also looking at selling a stake in its website ndtv.com, to help fund new initiatives.
As regards the quarterly results, the company’s Net was eroded to a large extent due to the high quantum that went in as ESOPs for the employees that amounted to Rs 114.7 million.
Still, that is an improvement over the immediately preceding quarter when the news broadcast major posted a net loss of Rs 65 million, slipping into the red for the first time since going public as expenses on personnel surged.
On future plans, Reuters quotes Roy as saying, “There’s a lot of interest for a strategic stake in ndtv.com, and we are weighing the option of unlocking value in it right now, or six months down the line.”
The company will also launch a general entertainment channel in India, possibly over the next six months, and look at broadcasting separate regional language feeds to the big cities, the report quotes Roy as saying.
Among the performance indicators that the company has chosen to highlight is the addition of 245 new brands and 96 new advertisers to its marketing base.
BUSINESS HIGHLIGHTS
The news broadcaster tied up with digital platforms with DirecTV (USA), BSkyB (UK) and ATN (Canada) to launch the English news channel NDTV 24×7. With this, NDTV’s global presence now extends across four continents.
NDTV’s marketing and sales subsidiary, NDTV Media has entered into a strategic tie-up with MSN to represent and market MSN in India. NDTV has also entered into the e-commerce business with the formal launch of ndtvshopping.com.
Earlier, this year, NDTV LTD marked its foray into radio through its subsidiaries, NDTV News LTD, together with the infotech company Value Labs, Malaysian broadcaster Astro. The company has acquired a minority stake in three radio companies that hold licenses for FM radio broadcasting in Mumbai, Delhi and Kolkata under the brand name of Red FM. The company entry into the radio venture has happened at a time when the licensing regime for radio has liberalised considerably, making efficiently run radio ventures profitable.
This is a significant step as NDTV develops into a multimedia company.
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.
