News Broadcasting
Network18 widens lead over Times Internet with digital and TV dominance
MUMBAI: If news were a contact sport, Network18 just scored a digital hat-trick while keeping its closest rival, Times Internet, firmly on the defensive. Network18 has cemented its status as India’s undisputed news juggernaut, clocking a towering 300.35 million unique visitors (UVs) in May 2025, according to the latest ComScore MMX data. With a 67 per cent digital reach, it outpaced Times Internet Limited by over 82 million UVs, with the latter trailing at 217.83 million UVs (48 per cent reach).
The digital scoreboard shows a clear trend: Network18 has led for three straight months, with UVs peaking at 321 million in April and 315 million in March, compared to Times Internet’s 196 million and 203 million in the same periods.
It’s not just the network flexing its muscles News18.com, the flagship digital brand, has been leaving The Times of India in the dust. With 245 million UVs in May, News18 maintained a consistent lead over TOI’s 200 million UVs. And the margin’s been widening: April saw News18 at 283 million UVs to TOI’s 173 million, while March posted 251 million vs 182 million, respectively.
But the domination doesn’t stop at pixels. On television, CNN-News18 has held the No. 1 position in English news for over three consecutive years, a feat unmatched in the industry. In the Hindi news universe, News18 India remains the most-watched across the country. Add to that Network18’s reach across regional languages, and the brand’s influence begins to look not just dominant but pan-Indian.
While digital players grapple with fractured attention spans and changing algorithms, Network18 seems to have found the secret sauce reach, consistency, and trust across screens, languages, and formats.
In a media ecosystem obsessed with virality, Network18’s steady, multiplatform march to the top is less flash, more firepower. And in the battle for eyeballs, it’s clear who’s setting the pace and who’s still trying to catch up.
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.
