News Broadcasting
NDTV’s revenue improves further in third quarter
BENGALURU: Though New Delhi Television Limited (NDTV) reported lower year-on-year (y-o-y) numbers across all important parameters in the quarter ended 31 December 2017 (Q3-17, current quarter), the company’s quarter-over-quarter (q-o-q) numbers have improved further. NDTV’s consolidated Total Income from Operations (TIO, revenue) in the current quarter declined 10.9 percent y-o-y to Rs 132.20 crore from Rs 148.41 crore, but increased 7.2 percent q-o-q from Rs 123.31 crore. The company’s Q2-17 revenue numbers were better than those in Q1-17.
However, net loss in Q3-17 was higher both y-o-y and q-o-q. NDTV reported loss of Rs 18.49 crore in Q3-16; Rs 12.54 crore in Q3-16; and Rs 17.22 crore in the immediate trailing quarter Q2-17.
NDTV had negative EBIDTA (operating loss) of Rs 6.67 crore in the current quarter; negative EBIDTA of Rs 4.45 crore in Q2-16; negative EBIDTA of Rs 3.64 crore in Q2-17.
Segment numbers
NDTV’s Television Media and related operations (Television) segment reported 12.4 percent y-o-y decline in revenue in Q3-17 at Rs 129,53 crore from Rs 147.86 crore but 7 percent more y-o-y as compared to Rs 121.03 crore. The segment’s operating loss has been mentioned above.
Television segment reported higher loss at Rs 7.39 crore in the current quarter; Rs 3.44 crore in Q3-16 and Rs 3.94 crore for Q2-17, current quarter. as compared to the operating loss of Rs 8.41 crore during the corresponding quarter of the previous year (y-o-y).
NDTV’s Retail/eCommerce (eCommerce) segment reported 2.3 percent y-o-y decline in revenue at Rs 3.76 crore from Rs 3.85 crore, but 17.5 percent q-o-q increase from Rs 3.20 crore in Q2-17. The eCommerce segment reported lower y-o-y operating loss in Q3-17 at Rs 4.29 crore as compared to an operating loss of Rs 6.50 crore in Q3-16, and lower q-o-q than the Rs 4.98 crore in Q2-17.
Let us look at the other numbers reported by NDTV
Total Expenditure (TE) in the current quarter declined 9.4 percent y-o-y to Rs 144.92 crore (109.6 percent of TIO) from Rs 159.89 crore (107.7 percent of TIO) but was 7.5 percent more q-o-q than Rs 134.84 crore (109.4 percent of TIO).
NDTV’s consolidated Production Expense (PE) reduced 5.8 percent y-o-y in Q3-17 to Rs 30.54 crore (23.1 percent of TIO) from Rs 32.43 crore (21.8 percent of TIO), but increased 3.1 percent q-o-q from Rs 28.62 crore (23.2 percent of TIO).
The company’s Marketing, distribution and promotional expense (Marketing expense) in the current quarter reduced 35 percent y-o-y to Rs 22.44 crore (17 percent of TIO) from Rs 34.50 crore (23.2 percent of TIO) but increased 14.1 percent q-o-q from Rs 19.67 crore (16 percent of TIO).
NDTV’s Employee Benefit Expense (EBE) in Q3-17 increased 8.1 percent y-o-y to Rs 54.85 crore (41.5 percent of TIO) from Rs 50.72 crore (34.2 percent of TIO) and increased 21.4 percent from Rs 45.19 crore (36.6 percent of TIO).
Operating and administration expenses (Admin expenses) in Q3-17 reduced 8.2 percent y-o-y to Rs 31.76 crore (24 percent of TIO) from Rs 34.60 crore (23.3 percent of TIO) and reduced 8.5 percent q-o-q from Rs 34.71 crore (28.1 percent of TIO).
Finance Costs in the current year increased 4.3 percent y-o-y to Rs 5.52 crore (4.2 percent of TIO) from Rs 5.29 crore (3.6 percent of TIO) and declined 16.7 percent q-o-q from Rs 6.63 crore (5.4 percent of TIO).
NDTV’s Digital Business: www.ndtv.com
The company says that Ndtv.com posted strong results with an EBITDA profit of Rs 7 crore vs 2 crore in the previous year, driven by revenues which grew by 25 percent y-o-y.
NDTV’s Ecommerce Business: www.Gadgets360.com
NDTV says that Gadgets 360 becomes profitable in third quarter after a break-even second quarter and posted a PAT of Rs. 73 lacs in Q3-17
The total GMV Moved (marketplace e-commerce + Affiliate) since April 2016 – was Rs.100 crore
NDTV claims that Gadgets 360 is now ranked among top 20 technology news websites in the world.
Note: (1) The unit of currency in this report is the Indian rupee – Rs (also conventionally represented by INR). The Indian numbering system or the Vedic numbering system has been used to denote money values. The basic conversion to the international norm would be:
(a) 100,00,000 = 100 lakh = 10,000,000 = 10 million = 1 crore.
(b) 10,000 lakh = 100 crore = 1 arab = 1 billion.
(2) The numbers in this report are consolidated unless stated otherwise.
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.
