News Broadcasting
Network18 turns up the volume on growth with a golden quarter
MUMBAI: In a quarter where the media landscape was static at best, Network18 managed to change the channel to growth. The company’s second-quarter results for FY26 show that while much of the news industry wrestled with weak ad demand, Network18 found its own breaking news: a 7.2 per cent year-on-year rise in operating revenue, clocking Rs 477.2 crore in Q2 FY26, up from Rs 445.3 crore a year earlier and Rs 430.4 crore in the previous quarter.
The bump came despite a 7 per cent dip in TV news inventory demand, hinting that the network’s improved pricing yields and robust market position helped it stay ahead of the curve. For an industry still feeling the aftershocks of cautious advertiser sentiment, Network18’s showing signals a quiet revival, one that could pick up further pace through Q3 and Q4.
But the quarter wasn’t just about numbers, it was also about narrative. Cementing its leadership in regional news, Network18 acquired the remaining 50 per cent stake in IBN Lokmat News pvt. ltd. (IBNL) for Rs 25 crore, making News18 Lokmat a wholly owned subsidiary. The Marathi news powerhouse has seen strong revenue growth over the past three years and continues to reign supreme in the Marathi segment.
For viewers, the move means a smoother experience across TV and digital; for the network, it’s another piece in the puzzle of regional dominance. “This acquisition strengthens our market-leading portfolio of national and regional news channels,” said Network18 chairman Adil Zainulbhai. “Our mission is to be the one-stop news destination for audiences across India.”
Beyond news, the company is expanding into new frontiers. Moneycontrol, its flagship digital platform, has been building serious fintech muscle. Lending has emerged as a key growth engine, and its partnership with HDFC Bank, announced at the Global Fintech Festival 2025, adds further heft positioning Moneycontrol as India’s largest and most trusted financial destination.
Meanwhile, Creator18, the network’s newest vertical, is crafting a future beyond headlines, one built on hashtags and human stories. The platform has already worked with over 1,000 creators, managing many exclusively, and is building what could become one of India’s largest creator ecosystems. From influencer campaigns to social-first storytelling, Creator18 is expanding Network18’s reach into lifestyle, culture, and commerce areas that increasingly shape public conversation.
Network18’s 20-channel portfolio, which includes 14 regional channels, makes it the largest TV news network in India by both reach and viewership. And even as overall revenue growth for the first half of FY26 stayed broadly flat, the company’s tight cost control kept operating expenses steady, a sign of resilience in an uneven market.
In an industry that thrives on breaking news, Network18 seems to have created some of its own from acquisition-led regional growth to digital diversification and creator-led storytelling. The message is clear: while others are still buffering, Network18 is already streaming into the future.
News Broadcasting
CNN-News18 to air live counting day coverage for five state election results on May 4
The channel is rolling out its biggest election coverage machinery yet for results day on 4th May
NOIDA: The votes have been cast. Now comes the reckoning. CNN-News18 is pulling out all the stops for results day on 4th May, when counting begins across five battleground states — West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the Union Territory of Puducherry — in what promises to be one of the most closely watched electoral verdicts in recent memory.
The channel’s coverage, titled Battle for the States: The Verdict, kicks off at 7am and runs through the day across linear TV, connected television and YouTube. It is the culmination of CNN-News18’s multi-format editorial initiative, Battle for the States, which has tracked the polls from the beginning under the theme Road to Power.
At the operational heart of the coverage will be the Live Results Hub, the channel’s central command centre built to collate, verify and process real-time data flowing in from reporters stationed at counting centres across constituencies. The hub combines newsroom intelligence, analytics and on-the-ground reporting to deliver what the channel promises will be the fastest and most accurate results coverage in English news.
Leading the on-air charge will be primetime anchors Rahul Shivshankar, Anand Narasimhan, Aman Sharma, Nabila Jamal and Shivani Gupta. They will be joined by a wide panel of commentators including author Chetan Bhagat; GVL Narasimha Rao, senior leader of the BJP; Smita Prakash, editor of ANI; activist Saira Shah Halim; political analyst Sumanth C Raman; Abhijit Iyer Mitra, senior fellow at IPCS; Amitabh Tiwari, founder of VoteVibe; columnist Abhijit Majumdar; Nalin Mehta, managing editor of MoneyControl; political analyst Tehseen Poonawalla; senior journalist Subir Bhaumik; and political analyst Manojit Mandal.
Shivshankar, who serves as editorial affairs director at CNN-News18, set out the stakes plainly. “Counting day is one of the most watched events in the electoral cycle, where speed and credibility are tested in real time,” he said. “Battle for the States: The Verdict is built on that promise, combining ground reporting, sharp analysis and cutting-edge election technology to give viewers the clearest and fastest route to the verdict. On May 4, CNN-News18 will once again be the nation’s most trusted channel to witness democracy in action.”
Smriti Mehra, chief executive of English and Business News at Network18, framed the coverage in broader terms. “Elections are defining national events, and audiences turn to brands they trust in moments that matter,” she said. “CNN-News18 has consistently led from the front in every election coverage, and this special programming reflects the scale of our ambition and editorial strength.”
The channel has form here. It claims to have been India’s most preferred English news destination for election results for the past 20 years, covering everything from the 2024 general elections to the Delhi, Maharashtra, Bihar and BMC polls on the back of what it calls an “Always First, Always Right” record. Five states, one day, and a nation waiting for answers. The clock starts at 7am on 4th May.
